A married man
by lovable-hate
Summary: What would have happened if Rose Tyler and her family hadn't been trapped in 'Pete's world' and instead stayed on with the Doctor? What would have happened when they met Martha Jones? Very 10/Martha. Not safe for Rose fans- I don't want to upset anybody.
1. Smith, Jones and Tyler

**Ok, so I know I have 2 stories going on at the moment already but I have had this idea swimming round in my messed up head for ever now and today seems as good a time as any to release it. It's basically an A/U- what would have happened if Rose and her family were not trapped in Pete's world. As I said this is NOT 10/ Rose and VERY 10/Martha. However, I will try and avoid Rose bashing- just a touch of Rose… expressing dislike of. And I am not happy with the title; anyone got any ideas for an alternative one? Enough said. As always, please read and review and (hopefully) enjoy!**

There were some days were Martha Jones really hated hospitals. And this was one of those days.

On the up side, and she did like to think on the up side, it was sunny. She'd had a good few hours sleep (in between the studying, having to put up with her ex flatmate Gemma watching scrubs and teasing Martha as she went on about the general inaccuracy of the whole show, and texting an ex boyfriend- Terry the twat- who she had decided to end things will an incredible total of three years ago) and she had even got herself a breakfast in some shape or form.

On the down side, which, despite her determined attempt at optimism, kept egging at the corners of her mind, she had been contending with her family on the phone all the way here, she had been knocked aside in the street by some big headed helmeted bloke and zapped by the locker. Then there was the ever-nearing family party, promising craploads of insults, fights, arguing and bitching.

"You stole my husband!"

"25 years of lies, Clive!"

"Tell 'em Leo… Martha…"

"I'm not being insulted…"

Martha squeezed her eyes shut and composed herself.

"Breathe," she whispered to herself. "Calm down. Everything will be fine."

"You alright babes?" Martha opened her eyes. Standing before her was Michelle Williamson, the tarty brunette, shocking lipstick smeared across her face, glowing under about a million layers of foundation. Martha had to clench her fists to keep herself from punching the girl.

"Bloody Hippocratic oath," she hissed. When you had a patient who thought that, despite the years of medical school strapped under Martha's belt in comparison to the nights out drinking, dancing and partying of the young patient, she was more successful than the young med student, and what's more didn't feel uncomfortable expressing the fact, it was all you could do to smile and walk away slowly.

"I said, you alright?" Martha smiled at the girl wanly.

"You going home Michelle?" she asked cheerily. She women shrugged.

"Sure. Shouldn't you be like, bringing someone back to life or something?" Martha sucked in a deep breath.

"Paperwork," she said, brandishing the folder at her.

"Oh. Whatever," said the girl who had never filled out a form in her life. "Hey, why aren't you in like a nurse's uniform?"

"Oi! Hello! Scuse me!" It was a patient, calling from her room. Martha Jones flashed her teeth at Michelle in a fashion that could be interpreted as either a smile or a snarl, and scooped up her charts, heading towards the patient's room.

The patient was a blonde girl with a smooth, fair completion and wholesome lips- she was a few years younger than Martha. Her brown roots were clinging to her scalp and her eyes were outlined with heavy make-up. Martha was reminded of Annalise (the selfish cow) and chided herself. This girl was probably nothing like Annalise. She was probably lovely. It was wrong of her to judge this poor girl- but it was hard. Wherever she turned there seemed to be women reminding her of the home-wrecking blonde girl that her Dad had picked up at some bar- the third since he had walked out on his wife when Martha was eleven. Martha's memory went back to the day Leo found that bra, the stupid bra stuffed down the back of the sofa. She concentrated her attention back on the patient.

"Um, hi," she giggled, in a blatant London accent. Martha raised her eyebrows. "I was just wondering… there's this guy… he's working in the eatery… he promised to make me a cup of tea and like that was nearly two hours ago and he still hasn't showed and I am just stressing out, y'know?" Martha looked at the girl incredulously.

"I do?"

"Course you do. And I was wondering if you could like go and find him for me." Martha was stunned into silence. Rose sat up a little in bed. "It's ok, he's called the Doctor. He's about six one, six two, amazing hair, big, dark intense eyes; he's only just started out."

"The Doctor," Martha replied. "A Doctor, working in the cafeteria. Right."

"I know, I know, it takes a bit of getting used to, calling this tall skinny bloke 'the Doctor' but it feels really natural like, as time goes by, yeah? Anyway, you don't look very busy right now and I just thought it wouldn't hurt if you could do me this one little favour and you'd be like my favourite doctor for life… apart from the Doctor as the one who works downstairs… look just do this for me right?"

"I'm sorry, I think you'd have to ask someone else," she said slowly. "I am swamped at the moment, I have a load of paperwork to do, discharges and all that shit, and…"

"Miss Jones!"

Doctor Jones, Martha imagined in her head. Doctor Jones, it would be one day. She spun round.

"Mr Stoker," she replied.

"I don't think our patients appreciate foul language Jones, we treat them with respect, they are much more important that your needs. I think that…" He flicked up the charts and scanned it quickly. "Rose here would appreciate an apology."

"Oh… I…" stammered Martha, blushing. Rose's eyes flickered from the senior consultant to the young med student.

"Actually… I don't want an apology Mr Stoker," she said. Stoker nodded approvingly and glowered at Martha.

"Be thankful Jones. Is there anything our trainee Doctor can do to help you Miss Tyler?"

"Well," she began. "There's this bloke…" Martha sighed and looked around the ward. Typical. All those dreams about becoming a doctor and saving all those lives and here she was, inching closer to being forced to make this girl a cuppa. She sighed. . She glanced up and saw Mr Stoker staring at her, a picture of sarcastic politeness.

"I'm so sorry am I boring you?" he asked mildly.

"Uh…"

"I didn't think so," replied her superior swiftly. "As Rose here wants somebody to fetch her tea, and I think that there is no harm in somebody as important as you stooping to the level of everyone else eh? So Miss Jones, you will fetch this young man with Miss Tyler's mug of tea."

"Sir I have loads on my plate… rounds in like half an hour and…"

"You better be fast then," he said. "Chop chop!" Martha refrained from rolling her eyes she might have done when she had just been sent out of French by that bitch of a teacher Mrs Depaul and walked slowly out the ward. She heard a tinkling laugh echo behind her. She snarled.

When Martha walked into the eatery, she saw the guy this Rose Tyler had described easily. He was tall, skinny, incredibly good looking, and was talking rapidly to an old man with a broken knee.

"Yeah I know exactly how you feel," he was saying loudly. "I did something like that to the old knee once, long, long time ago. Queen Mary the first… blimey she can throw a kick… if that's what you do to a kick- throw it I mean. Although that wasn't what broke the bone in the end. That was her husband Phil… we became great chums after that…." Then he seemed to notice Martha staring at him. He looked up, fixing her with intense brown eyes. He smiled cautiously. "Hello."

"H-hello," said Martha, a slight catch in her voice. She could feel blood rushing to her face. God, how embarrassing. "Are you-" She was about to say 'the Doctor' but it seemed too awkward. She stumbled for words. " Are you supposed to be getting Rose Tyler a cup of tea?" The skinny bloke slapped a hand to his head in frustration.

"Damn! Knew there was something… wasn't I just saying Ralph… that nagging feeling in the back of your mind, we just got chatting and-" He paused, looking at Martha, seemingly struck dumb for a second. He coughed. "And badaboom," he continued. "You've forgotten everything."

"She seemed pretty pissed off," admitted Martha. "She said she'd been waiting a while."

"She has," the man admitted. "Sorry, what was your name?"

"Martha Jones," she said self-consciously. "I'm a med student."

"Of course you are," the man replied easily. "So you met Rose then?"

"Yes," said Martha. "Yes, I have." The bloke moved forward nervously.

"You're different," he said. "You're different to her."

"I am?" she breathed. Stupid question. Of course she was different to the laid back blonde girl waiting for her cuppa.

"Yes," he said seriously. He stepped closer again and fingered the stethoscope laid on her collar. "You're a doctor."

"Nearly. Are you…called the Doctor?"

"Mmm," he said distractedly. He flicked up the medical instrument and slipped it into his ears. Martha was about to protest, it was unhygienic of course, but something stopped her. He slipped the circle of the stethoscope onto the soft cotton of her t-shirt and listened the steady thrum of her pulsing heart.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he said, fumbling all of a sudden. He pressed it back into her hands, rubbing that back of his neck awkwardly. "I just…. You've got a nice strong heart-beat Martha Jones."

"Thank you," she said shyly. "What about you?"

"Me? Perfect. Badaboom. Although-" He treated the woman in front of her to a cool, appraising glance. "You wanna check?" Martha shrugged, and pressed the stethoscope against his chest. She jumped slightly. Was that an echo? An echo? She stared up at the Doctor, fascinated.

"Two hearts?" she choked. He was silent. With shaking hands, she slid the stethoscope to the right. And there it was, strong and loud. "Oh my God."

"Custard cream?" She looked up. The Doctor was holding a plate of biscuits in front of his face, a manic grin on his face. She shook her head.

"No thanks," she managed. A slow smile spread across her face. "Two hearts."

"Two hearts," he confirmed.

"Why? Were you born that way? That is so cool!"

"Yep. A long, long time ago."

"Come on. You're not that old. You sound like my Granddad."

"How old do you reckon I am, Martha?"

"I dunno, thirty four? Thirty five?" He chuckled.

"Really?" He seemed to find it hilarious.

"What? How old are you then?"

"Older than you think, Martha Jones."

"Come on. That's not an answer. You can't be older than what I said. Have you had botox and stuff?"

"I have not."

"Is that something to do with your two hearts? Does having two hearts make your age slower? Hey, can I write an article about you? You could be in some kind of medical journal."

"I don't think so," he said apologetically.

The old fashioned clock on the wall chimed suddenly. Martha cussed under her breath. She was going to be late for rounds. She wound the stethoscope back round her neck and scooped up her folder from where she had left it on the table.

"Sorry," she said. "I have to go. I'm late for rounds."

"Wait! Will I see you again?"

"I don't know… I hope so…" she said, rushing from the room.

"Martha!" She paused in the doorway.

"Yeah."

"I like you Martha."

"Good to know, thanks, I really have to go…"

"Please!" He grabbed her wrist. "I mean I really, really like you."

"What do you mean you met me five minutes ago?" Martha looked down at the hand on her arm and saw something glinting on his fourth finger.

"Oh," she said flatly. "I have to go now. I'll see you later." And she fled.

**FLASHBACK**

**His hearts pounding in his chest, the Doctor stood at the altar, in his fateful tux. But today, he would have welcomed danger, would have embraced a good old-fashioned alien invasion. Today was his wedding day. And he was scared.**

**He glanced back to see Jackie sitting on the front row. She bared his teeth at him and grinned. He smiled vaguely back, and she nodded.**

"**Any second now," she promised. The Doctor licked his dry lips. Oh God. After the battle of canary wharf, with Jackie, Pete, Mickey and Rose all alive and well, a red haired bride had materialized into his TARDIS. Rose had slaughtered her. It was all he could do to make peace between the two warring women, the baffled father and the protective mother. Once Donna was safe- really safe, he'd ensured that, Jackie had suggested he should propose to her daughter.**

"**After all, she deserves it," Jackie had said. And the Doctor, weakened by her persuasion (and a hard slap) had finally obliged her. Rose had said yes- he almost hoped she hadn't. Scratch that, he did hope.**

**Sarah-Jane was there in the congregation too, and Mickey too. Faithful Jo Grant was there too, smiling at the Doctor. Then everyone gasped as Rose walked through the doors, accompanied by Pete. The vicar's speech went all to fast, and it was soon time for him to muster the binding words…**

"**I…I do." And suddenly her lips were pressed against his and the church erupted into claps and Jo Grant was the first to run up and hug him. Best man the Brigadier hugged him too, not oblivious to the Doctor's regret.**

"**It'll get easier," he said. "I'm sorry."**

"Sorry," she said. "I have to go. I'm late for rounds."

"Wait! Will I see you again?"

"I don't know… I hope so…" she said, rushing from the room.

"Martha!" She paused in the doorway.

"Yeah."

"I like you Martha." His hearts were pounding- his hearts, how had she recognised his double heartbeat- from nerves. She brushed his comment away.

"Good to know, thanks, I really have to go…"

"Please!" He grabbed her wrist. "I mean I really, really like you." She smiled, bewildered.

"What do you mean you met me five minutes ago?"

He watched as her gaze flickered to his hand and saw the band tightened around his fourth finger. Her mouth opened in surprise, and her shoulders sagged. He shook his head. No. Not Martha Jones. She was going? They'd only just met… and he liked her. Damn the ring, the bloody wedding, it was untrue…

"Oh. I have to go now. I'll see you later." And she was gone.

"Martha!" But it was too late. Always too late.

IIIII

Martha was sat in the staff kitchen watching as her friend Julia made coffee for the two of them. She sighed, tapping her fingernails against the plastic of her phone.

"You alright?" Julia asked her. She shrugged.

"I guess."

"What is it?" she asked, pausing and looking at her curiously. "Was it Mr Stoker? He was a bit harsh I reckon."

"I can handle that," she said. "Something else."

"Party tonight?" Julia guessed again.

"No. Well yes, there is the party, but it's not that. Nothing important. Just me being silly."

"Terry the twat?"

"No."

"Martha!"

"Fine. There was this bloke; he was working downstairs in the eatery. We met today we talked a bit, that's why I was late for rounds. And I was thinking he was something quite special, and he was lovely to me and all that, then I noticed he was wearing a wedding ring."

"Oh," said Julia, pulling a face. "Been there."

"You have?"

"Sure. It sucks."

"I know. He was-" Martha jumped as her phone vibrated. She flicked it open and pressed it against her ear.

"Martha. We need to talk."

"Tish," she smiled. "You alright?"

"No. We need to figure something else or everything will go mental and Leo will have the worse birthday ever and he's meant to be celebrating, this is his last big birthday until he turns sixty."

"He didn't even ask for a party, he told me so."

"Yeah but Mum wanted him to have one and Dad wanted him to have one and-"

"Just leave it Tish," snapped Martha.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing, nothing! Let's just figure out what to do about Annalise."

"I know. You're in love," said Tish immediately. "Who is he, Martha? How long has it been going on?"

"I'm not in love," said Martha. "I just thought… I made a mistake."

"You thought you liked someone and he turned out to be a douche."

"No. He's not a douche. He's… amazing."

"But he doesn't notice you?"

"He noticed me all right."

"In a bad way? Martha stop talking in code, please. Tell me."

"He's married."

"And he didn't tell you?"

"We only talked for about five minutes. So no. But he doesn't look like a womanizer. He seemed nice."

"Did he like you? As a mate?"

"He told me he liked me. He really, really liked me. What does that mean?"

"Tell you what, I'm not that far away, I'll meet you for a sandwich, we can draw up a battle plan and figure out what to do about this bloke of yours."

"What, in this weather? I'm not going out, it's pouring down."

"What d'you mean?" Martha heard someone coming up behind her and she turned. And froze. It was him.

"I'll talk to you soon, Tish. Promise."

"Martha?"

"Bye." And she flicked the phone shut.

"Hello," said the Doctor.

"Hi," she replied softly.

"I'll see you in a second Martha," said Julia, tactfully removing herself. Martha opened her mouth.

"Why did you-" But she never got to finish the sentence. An explosion seemed to shatter the hospital. Things fell from the cupboards and the ground was whipped from beneath Martha's feet. She fell heavily, tossed left and right like a rag doll.

"Martha!" The Doctor grabbed her arm, steadied her, just as the unit in the staff kitchen collapsed where she was just about to fall.

"What the hell is going on?" she screamed, her hair falling in front of her face.

Then it stopped. Julia stumbled in, shaking, an angry gash across one cheek.

"Martha," she said hoarsely. "What the hell was that?" Martha examined her friend's cheek, plucking glass from the wound as she winced slightly.

"Are you alright?" asked the Doctor.

"I think so, yeah," Martha replied. She noticed Julia staring out the window, awe struck. "Julia?"

"It's night," she said. "But it was lunchtime…" Martha shook her head.

"It's not night."

"But it's got to be, it's dark."

"We're on the moon," said the Doctor, looking down at the two women crouched on the floor. Martha stood up, looking out the window in disbelief.

"We're on the bloody moon," she hissed. The Doctor suddenly burst into action.

"Sorry," he said. "I have to…" He began to sprint down the corridor.

"Wait!" Martha stumbled out the door and ran after him. "Doctor!" Her heels clacking on the clean plastic coated floor, Martha was led by into the female ward. There were people everywhere, crying, screaming.

"Help me! Help me!" A man was crying. Martha flicked back her hair. Took in a deep breath. Took charge.

"All right now everyone, back into bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out." She pressed a hand against the long window showing the view across the beautiful moon. "It's real," she husked. "It's really real. Doctor?" She looked around. There he was. Hugging a woman dressed in a hospital gown and a navy blue robe.

"You're alright," he said smiling. "Fabulous." He shifted his position so Martha could see the girl he was hugging. Rose Tyler. She felt anger boiling up inside her. Bastard. Who wouldn't choose the beautiful Rose Tyler as his wife. Martha didn't think she was the jealous type, but this was unbearable. She forced down the irrational feelings. Rose was probably a lovely women once you got to know her. And she was trapped on the moon, all she could think about was another women. She was turning into her sister.

Rose looked over the Doctor's shoulder, her heart racing. She'd been scared when the earthquake thing had happened. She'd been tossed from the bed, thrown this way and that, amongst the screaming patients. But now the Doctor was here. The doctor would sort out everything.

"Wait!" she cried suddenly. "What are you doing?" The Doctor Rose had spoken to earlier was fiddling with the latch of the window, trying to open it. The Doctor released her and looked over at the girl. Jones, Rose recalled her name was. Her friend jerked slightly, looked up in shock at what Martha was doing.

"We'll lose all the air," she cried, tears flooding into a nasty cut along her face. Martha shook her head, curiosity taking her over entirely.

"They're not exactly airtight. If the air was gonna get sucked out, it would've happened straight away, but it didn't, so how come?"

"Correctamundo! So the question is, Martha, how are we still breathing?" Martha looked nervously at Rose.

"My name's Martha," she said. "I work here. Me and the Doctor met about an hour ago."

"Rose Tyler," she said. "I'm married to the Doctor." Martha nodded, her lips pursed.

"So, how are we still breathing?" she asked.

"That is a good question. Martha, is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda…"

"On the patient's lounge," said Rose. "That's right isn't it?"

"Yeah, the patient's lounge," said Martha.

"D'you fancy going out?" asked the Doctor. She looked at him cautiously.

"Okay."

"We might die," he reminded her. She licked her lips.

"We might not."

"Good. C'mon Rose. Martha." He thrust a scornful glance at Julia. "Not her, she'll slow us down." And he was off. Martha squeezed her friend's hand reassuringly. But she'd made her descision. She followed the Doctor.


	2. A judoon platoon upon the moon

"So," said Martha. She was jogging along the familiar corridors of the Royal hope before the tall figure of the doctor and beside the very blonde Rose Tyler. "Why exactly were you admitted into hospital?"

"Well I was _admitted_ for abdominal pains," she said carefully. "But really I don't need hospital treatment."

"Oh?"

"Actually me and the Doctor are sort of… investigating something. The Doctor noticed something or other about this place, some kind of signal, didn't you love?"

"Mmm," he said, striding ahead of the two young women. "Plasma coils."

"Plasma coils?" said Martha. "I've heard that before…"

"You have?" asked Rose, surprised. "Well, I guess you're a doctor…"

"No, not from med school," laughed Martha. "I used to date this guy, Terry his name was, and he was a proper geek for all that clever physics stuff. My sister used to tease me about him like hell."

"When did you break up?" Rose asked curiously. She always had been one for gossip- even if they were stranded on the moon. And she hoped beyond hope that this 'Terry' and this 'Martha' still had loose ends to tie. That way it would keep the bitch away from her husband.

"Three years ago," said Martha, dashing Rose's hopes with that single utterance. "I haven't actually had a relationship since then. I've been too busy with my studies."

"Three years?" said Rose, her eyes wide. "Does that mean no sex for three years?"

"I didn't say that," said Martha. "I mean… no serious relationships. And I get a little reckless when I've had too much to drink. Good girl gone bad scenario. It's quite embarrassing. My sister blackmails me by threatening to tell my mother. Not very often at all… but once in a while." Rose smirked.

"Badass." In her head she added, slut.

"No sex for three years," smirked the Doctor. "Rose Tyler. One track mind."

"Only you, sweetie," she smiled. She turned back to Martha.

"So are you a doctor then? Or a nurse? Or a… whatever else."

"I'm a med student," she said. "Nearly a doctor. When I pass my exams."

"I haven't had an exam since my GCSE's," said Rose. Martha smiled tiredly.

"I have."

"And here we are," announced the Doctor. He smiled vaguely at the two women behind him. "Ready?" Martha nodded, a lump rising in her throat.

"Yes," she said. Her pulse was quickening as the Doctor tried the handle of the door and slowly pushed it open… The three people sucked in a deep breath and looked at each other for confirmation. They could breathe. Martha stepped out onto the balcony. "We have air," she said softly. "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does," replied the Doctor as he rested his hands on the crude block of stone that provided the railings at the end of the balcony. Rose was looking around in wonder.

"The moon," she said. "All those places we've been yet we've never been to the moon. I guess, compared to everything else, it seemed so boring. But it's not…" her voice trailed off. Martha sighed, staring down at the earth, imagining the pandemonium down there caused by the sudden vanishing act of the Royal Hope. She imagined Tish, who she had been speaking to seconds before it happened. Leo- 21 today maybe hearing about it on the news or from their big sister. Her parents. Would they be crying?

"I've got a party tonight," she heard herself say. Both the Doctor and Rose's heads turned to look at her. "My brother's twenty-first. Oh my God my mother's gonna be…" And for a second she could cry. She forced the tears down. She was being stupid, crying would solve nothing.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah," she said.

"Sure?"

"Yes!" she said, with more force this time. She took a deep breath and composed herself. Rose moved forward to the balcony.

"D'you want to go back in?" asked the Doctor.

"No way," said Martha. "I mean we could die any minute but all the same…"

"It's beautiful," said Rose. The Doctor looked at the two star struck- or moon struck- women.

"You think?"

"I mean how many people wanted to go to the moon? And here we are!"

"Standing in the earthlight." There was a moment's silence. Then Martha spoke again.

"What do you think happened?"

"What do you think?" asked the Doctor. He was testing her, Rose realised. Testing if her intellect lived up to her shown bravery. And looks. There was something about this Martha Jones, something that made Rose want to hold onto the Doctor and protect him from the young med student. She was certainly more intelligent than her, Rose realised, and she was also extremely good looking. And she and the Doctor seemed to be getting on pretty well- too well for Rose's liking. She half hoped that Martha would get the question wrong.

Martha looked at them both; as if she worried her answer might cause offence. "Extra-terrestrial," she said in a rush. "It's got to be. I know it have sounded mad a few years ago but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas- that thing in the sky those cyber men things…" Rose looked across at the Doctor. This girl was good. "I had a cousin," said Martha. "Adeoli. She worked at Canary Wharf. Never came home." The Doctor's head jerked.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Yeah."

"I was there," he said dreamily. "We were there. In the battle. It was…"

"My whole family," said Rose. "I put them in so much danger. It was… well it ended well."

"You were there?" asked Martha curiously. "Did you… meet my cousin? Adeoli. Did you see her?"

"Yes," he admitted. "Briefly. Yes." Martha nodded, and turned back to look at the earth.

"Well," she said. "We'll find a way out. If we can travel to the moon then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

"Right," said the Doctor. "Better start finding out the way then. Let's have a look there must be some kind of-" He picked a small object of the ground and before Martha could open her mouth to speak he hurled it into the air. It bounced off something, something that rippled blue. "Force field," he finished.

"Keeping the air in," said Rose. Martha nodded.

"So if we're in this big bubble," she said slowly. "That's all the air we've got. What happens when it runs out?" The Doctor replied with another question.

"How many people in this hospital?"

"I dunno, about a thousand?" The Doctor stared back at the building a misty look in his dark brown eyes.

"A thousand people," he said. "Suffocating." Martha was appalled.

"Why would anyone do that?" The Doctor wasn't looking at her, or Rose.

"Ask them yourselves." He was looking up towards the sky. "Heads up!" Both Rose and Martha spun round and watched, hearts in their mouths. Something big, black and dark was descending from the sky. It was like a tube, a massive tube that stayed upright-there was no need to be aerodynamic- studded with levels and lights. Martha grabbed hold of the Doctor's arm almost by instinct and Rose was disgusted that he didn't shake it off. She barged over and wrapped the Doctor into a tight hug, making sure that Martha's hand was jolted off his wrist. Martha stepped back a little, surprised, but not half as surprised as the Doctor himself. He patted the women's back awkwardly.

"Rose," he said. "Slight problem, thousands of humans suffocating, Judoon descending onto the surface of the moon… never waste time in a hug…"

"Sorry," she said jumping back and flicking her blonde hair back. "I just wanted to hug you. We are married, of course. In love. You know. Just in case anyone was thinking of butting in or anything. Not that they were, of course. Nobody would ever dare do that." At this point she looked sharply at Martha. The Doctor stayed oblivious to her tone and twisted round to look back at the ships.

They had landed now, in a blur of moon dust, and something was moving. Small figures were marching, marching like soldiers, from the black tubes. Martha strained her eyes to look, excitement fluttering in her chest.

"That's aliens," she said. "Real, proper aliens!"

"Judoon," said Rose. Martha leaned over the balcony to watch as they paraded forward, a column of storm troopers in heavy black armour and clutching lethal looking guns.

"They have rhino heads," she gasped. "Aliens with rhino heads! This is brilliant!"

"No it's not," said the Doctor. "Martha, Rose, with me. If the Judoon are here, things can't be good." He led the way off of the balcony followed by Rose. Martha took one quick glance back at the astonishing surface of the moon and followed the husband and wife.

As Martha swung the door closed behind the body of Mr Stoker, senior consultant, dropped to the floor, completely drained of blood.

The Doctor led the two women (who were now glowering at each other, all of Rose's previous friendly nature gone) to the hospital foyer. They stopped just before the stairwell and crouched on the floor, staring through the tinted glass at the scene down below. People, doctors and patients alike, were gathered in small little hysterical groups, huddled on the floor. The doctor within Martha longed to go down and help them- but the sight of the oncoming Judoon kept her where she was. The first of the rhino headed aliens barged through the doors, holding their guns aloft. The people shrank away, screaming in disgust. Martha swallowed as she recognised her archenemy Miranda (the bitchiest med student on the planet) and Ralph, the man with the broken knee that the Doctor had been talking to earlier cowering from the aliens.

"Bo!" The Judoon was talking in a crude alien language. Martha shivered. "Sco! Fo! Do! No! Kro! Blo! Co! Sho! Ro!' All the aliens raised their weapons. A bloke in a white coat identical to Martha's slowly walked forwards. James Morgenstern- another trainee doctor and a bit of a geek. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Um… we are citizens of planet earth… we welcome you in peace-" The Judoon leader strides forward and slammed the young man against the wall. He gasped, to scared to do anything else. Martha craned her neck forward. Please let him be okay… The Judoon shoved a torch thing was a blue light in his face and slowly trained it up and down his body.

"What's he doing?" hissed Martha. "What's he doing?"

"Brave boy," said Rose slowly. "Who is he?" Martha didn't answer; she could hear Morgenstern talking again.

"I'm sorry please don't hurt me I was only trying to help I'm sorry please don't hurt me…" he stuttered. Martha bit her lip.

The Judoon took back his strange blue device and pressed a button. Then, issuing from the torch thing, came Morgenstern's panicked stutter.

"I'm sorry please don't hurt me I was only trying to help I'm sorry please don't hurt me…"

The Judoon grunted and inserted the device into the front of his armour. Then a look of understanding came on the twisted hide of his face and he spoke in voice that was- no matter how gruff and twisted- clear English.

"Language assimilated. Language: earth English. You will be catalogued." He then thrust a second device into Morgenstern's face, another small, handhold torch. "Human." He flipped the device around and marked his hand with a cross. Morgenstern looked at his hand in bewilderment, but the alien seemed to be done with him, letting him fall free and turning to his troops. "Catalogue all suspects."

"Doctor," said Martha. "What's going on?"

"Look down there, you've got a little shop. I like a little shop," he replied.

"Never mind that, what are the judoon?"

"They're police. Well, police for hire, more like interplanetary thugs."

"And they brought up to the moon?" Martha asked. She wondered how the Doctor knew all this. What was he?

"Neutral territory. According to Galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth. So they isolated us. The rain, the lightening, that was them, using an H20 scoop." Rose looked across at Martha to see her answer.

"What are you on about, galactic law, where d'you get that from?" He raised his eyebrows and shifted his position to get a better view. She sighed and followed him. "If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we 'trespassing on the moon' or something?"

"No but I like that! Good thinking!"

"I was about to say that," said Rose.

"Yes," said the Doctor impatiently. "Anyway, Martha, I wish it was that simple. If they're making a catalogue, that means they're after something non-human which is bad news for me?"

"Why?" He just looked at her. She raised her eyebrows. "Oh don't be ridiculous." She looked at Rose who was staring at her defiantly. Back at the Doctor. "Don't be ridiculous… stop looking at me like that!" He smiled.

"Come on then." He headed back towards the stairs. Rose followed him, making a big show of entwining her arm around his and pecking him on the cheek._ Damn him! _ Martha sighed, and got up to follow him.

III

They were crouched down low when the Judoon pounded past them, up on the sixth floor. People were screaming, genuine fear and terror struck against their sickly faces as they tried to run.

"Prepare to be catalogued!" Morgenstern ran past the Judoon.

"Do what they say- all they want to do is shine this light thing it's not going to hurt us just listen to them!" Martha watched as a man picked up the nearest chair and swung it at the nearest Judoon. Martha's heart leapt- she recognised that patient. He was on her rounds last week- some kind of heart problem she recalled. She remembered seeing his wife and daughter come to visit him just yesterday, the child of three, handing him a get well card…

"Charge. Physical assault. Plea. Guilty. Punishment. Execution." A vicious red beam blasted out of a large gun and the man was completely incinerated. The Judoon thundered past, cataloguing people, until they slowly filtered out of the floor- then The Doctor, Rose and Martha leapt from their hiding place and began to sprint down the corridors.

III

Rose sat on the desk of the nurse's station as the Doctor scanned the computer with his sonic. Martha had gone to look round the hospital in an attempt to track the Judoon's progress.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked, swinging her legs in the thin air.

"Uh… looking for anything unusual," he said, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Right," she said. There was a pause. "What do you think about this 'Martha' then?" she asked slyly.

"Martha? Seems…" he hesitated, unsure of what to say. "Great. Really great."

"Great?" she said. "Because she's a doctor?"

"Rose, how many doctor's are there in this place?" he asked irritably. "I like Martha because… I do. End of. Why should it bother you?"

"Doesn't she annoy you?" Rose asked, playing with his hair. He flicked her hand away. She sighed. "Why won't she leave us alone?"

"Because I don't want her to," he said. "Now can you stop talking Rose I'm trying to think."

"Oh," she said, flicking her blonde hair behind her. "So now 'Martha's' here you won't be listening to me anymore? You won't need me, huh? Well if that's how it is, I might as well go now!"

"Rose, we're stranded on the moon, there aren't all that many places to go to," he said. "Anyway, now Martha's here, nothing has changed. I'm just busy." Martha burst in the room.

"They've reached the third floor- oh sorry. Were you fighting?"

"No," said the Doctor easily. "Rose just seemed to think you were replacing her." Rose opened her mouth.

"I did not say that!" she said. Martha put a hand on her hip.

"What were you saying, then?"

"I was saying… why should it matter to you anyway?" she cried angrily. Martha stepped forward.

"What's that?"

"A sonic screwdriver, are you stupid?" shouted Rose.

"Rose!"

"It's ok," said Martha. "So what is it?" 

"A sonic screwdriver."

"Well if you're not going to answer me properly-"

"No it is! It's a screwdriver and it's sonic."

"What else have you got? Laser spanner?"

"I did but-"

"It was stolen by Emily Pankhurst," said Rose. "I was there." Martha frowned and the Doctor rattled the computer.

"What's wrong with this computer?" he growled. "The judoon must of locked it- a judoon platoon upon the moon. Cos I swear I was just travelling I swear, I was just wondering I, wasn't looking for trouble, honestly I wasn't. But I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital- like, that lightning, that's a plasma coil it's been building up for two days now- so I checked in. I thought something was going on inside. Turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above.

"What did you say they were looking for?" asked Rose.

"Something that looks human but isn't."

"Like you," pointed out Martha. "Apparently."

"Like me, but not me."

"Haven't they got a photo?"

"It could be a shape changer."

"Well whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?"

"If they find the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive… they'll sentence it to execution?" 

"All of them?" said Rose.

"All of us," said Martha. "You're here now."

"All of us," said the Doctor. "But if I can find it first… Oh D'YOU SEE! They're thick, Judoon are thick, they wiped the record- oh that's clever."

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked.

"I don't know, any patient admitted in the last week admitted with unusual symptoms."

"You keep looking, I'll go and ask Mr Stoker he might now," she said.

"Be careful!" he called.

"Gotcha." She smiled and left the room, hesitating by the door just long enough to hear Rose utter:

"What a little bitch."


	3. This means nnothing

**Firstly I am forever sorry for the gap between updating chapters. My life is crazy at the moment hardly have time to eat let alone write… but here we are. Time to see if the long wait is worth it. And a few people have mentioned that in this fic Rose is out of character. To tell the truth, I am trying hard to keep her in character so the Rose in this story is exactly how I interpreted her- needy, annoying and possessive. Also a little useless. But that's just my opinion, and you are all entitled to yours as well. Like I said I am trying to keep her as realistic to the show a poss… but when you hate her that much it is harder than it seems. Thanks. **

The Doctor spun round and took his wife by the shoulders. "Stop it Rose, just stop it!" She shrugged out of his grip and glowered at him. He sighed. "I don't get you, I really don't."

"What's there to get, Time Lord?" she spat. "I'm your wife. You're deeply in love with me. Remember? Until death do us part?"

"I… how is that relevant?" he blustered. "Why are you being so…"

"So what?" said Rose. "Say it." He shook her and slumped back in his chair trying to fix the computer. Then something struck him hard across the face.

"OUCH!"

"Well I will slap you if you don't answer me properly," snarled Rose. "I need to know that you love me."

"You know I love you, Rose, now can we get on…"

"No, we cannot," she said. "Not until you tell me that you love me."

"I just did!"

"But I need to know it comes from here," she said pressing down on his chest. He sighed.

"Listen Rose this is not the time. Thousands of people will lose their lives."

"Right," she said, sinking back into another chair. "Sorry." She felt like she was about to cry. She'd never felt threatened before, never in her whole life. She'd always had everything she wanted before. Well, by everything she meant… people. Mickey had fallen into her open arms, ready for her whenever she needed him- even now to be honest. And the Doctor- he'd taken a little more work admittedly but then he's proposed out of the blue. After that day. The day when that red headed woman 'Donna Noble' had just turned up out of the blue in the TARDIS. Rose realised now that she'd been horrible to Donna and she did regret it. But Rose knew she was needy. She had to be reassured all the time. Independent and self-confident were two words that did not describe the young blond woman. Yes, she'd been horrible to Donna the red headed bride, and it looked as if it was going to go the same way for Martha. It was just when anyone got near her Doctor- emotionally near that was- she saw red. Blood red.

"Because I love you, you know," she said. "I always have done." The Doctor ignored her.

"Yes," he muttered, and pocketed his sonic. "C'mon, Rose. We need to find Martha."

"Martha," whispered Rose. "Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha." As she left the room she slammed the door in anger.

III

Martha collided with the Doctor. He could tell immediately she was flustered about something.

"I restored the back-up-" he began.

"I found her," she gasped.

"You did what?" Then, a crash, as Mr Stoker's door was battered down by the faceless motorcyclist Martha had been knocked aside by earlier that morning. How long ago that seemed… But then her hand had been grabbed by the Doctor's and she was being tugged down the corridor so fast she could barely find her feet.

"RUN!" With Rose in one hand and Martha in the other they leapt over the huddled patients on the floors, faster and faster as they picked up speed. They reached the stairwell and Martha's insides jolted at the sheer pace that the Doctor yanked her down the staircase. Then they skidded to a halt and she hardly had the time to register the Judoon pounded the corridors below. They hurled themselves through the fifth floor door and another corridor stretched out before them, littered with clusters of helpless people- already given up. They ran, the courier closing in on them, the speed was unbelievable- inhuman. Martha gasped as her body came in contact with a door as the Doctor pushed her and his wife through it. She stumbled, and her addled senses finally making sense of the room they were in. the x-ray room. She had been in here yesterday a little boy with a fractured skull only four years old… and he's be here, somewhere in the hospital condemned to death along with the rest of them. She shuddered.

But there was no stopping, her and Rose were rushed behind a glass panel. Already the… thing was smashing its body against the door and although it wasn't springing open yet it was clear that it would be soon.

"When I say now, press the button!" shouted the Doctor, running to the centre of the room.

"I don't know which one," Martha told him.

"Then find out!" _Fair enough._ She didn't spare the Doctor any of her concentration as she began to frantically pull books off the shelf above her. No, no, no… Yes! She began leafing through the operator's manual desperately searching for anything that would help her, help them, trying to ignore the battering of the door. She heard the hinges give way and there it was, framed in the doorway, not even quivering after the ordeal of repeatedly slamming itself against a thick metal door.

"NOW!" But Martha was too far away.

"Rose, the big black one!" she screamed. Rose jolted and made towards the controls, slamming her fist down on the button that Martha had in mind. The room was lit up in blinding, flashing white. Martha gasped, scared of what she saw. She could actually see the skeleton of the Doctor flash inside his suit as he stood there, surveying the courier as it swayed, the fell. The lighting returned to normal and Martha let out a breath. She was about to ask what the hell was going on, but Rose got there first.

"What did you do?"

"Increased the radiation by 5000%," said the Doctor. "Knocked him dead." Martha slowly looked down at the unmoving body splayed across the floor of the X-ray department.

"But wouldn't that kill you?"

"Nah its only Rontgen radiation. We used to play with Rontgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you both to come out I've absorbed it all." The two women cautiously stepped out and looked at each other awkwardly. Then the Doctor began to twitch and shudder. Rose jolted.

"Doctor!" she cried, leaping forward.

"Don't touch me," he said in a rushed slur. "All I have to do is expel it, say if I concentrate and shift the radiation out of my body into one spot- say my left shoe…" Martha stared as he started to dance on the spot shouting and yelling. "Itches… itches…" Then, all of a sudden he whipped off his left shoe and sock all in one and hurled it into the waste disposal bin.

"You are completely mad," said Martha faintly.

"You're right," he sighed. "I look daft with one shoe." And with that he threw his other shoe to the same fate as the first. "Barefoot on the moon!" He walked over to Rose and Martha and wrapped one arm around each of them, squeezing them to him in a brief hug. "But you two did a great job together, didn't you. Teamwork and all that. The dream team… Jones and Tyler. What about that."

"What is that thing?" asked Martha; warily sliding out of the hug- she had seen the way that Rose had glared at her.

"Just slabs, they're called slabs. Basic slave droves. Solid leather, all the way through."

"But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan," said Martha, it was working for her."

"My sonic screwdriver!" cried the Doctor. Martha ignored him.

"She was one of the patients but Mr Stoker, she killed him."

"It burnt out my sonic screwdriver-"

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire…"

"I love my sonic screwdriver-"

"Doctor!"

"Sorry!"

"Anyway," she said, stressing the first syllable. "Miss Finnegan is the alien, she was drinking Mr Stoker's blood."

"Funny time to take a snack," said the Doctor slowly. "You'd think she'd be hiding, unless..."

III

And they were running. Martha had always been a good runner, a fairly fast runner but she'd never run like this in her life. Skidding down more corridors barely having time to register where in the hospital they were. Then, she saw a flash of black in the corner of her eye- it was the other slab.

"Down!" The Doctor pulled her and Rose behind a trolley as the slab slowly walked away. "That's the thing about slabs they always travel in pairs," said the Doctor. Martha sighed.

"And so do you."

"Sorry?"

"Nothing." The Doctor smiled.

"Humans." He got up… and froze, face to face with the Judoon. Before he could do anything the blue light was scanning up and down his body, the Judoon's creased rhino lips ready to form the condemning words-

"Non human!"

"Oh my God," cried Martha.

"And again," he said, making to run again. But then-

"Doctor!" The Doctor turned at the strangled cry of his wife. She was pinned up against the wall as the Judoon fumbled with his scanner.

"Rose let them do it, it won't come up with anything." Rose snarled as the blue light illuminated her pale face.

"Human." The cross was drawn on her hand and she stumbled away.

"Rose!" shouted the Doctor. "Come on!" She ran towards them, examining her hand. Martha could hear gunshots behind them as they ran again. It seemed like forever, but they soon skidded to a halt on another floor. People were slumped against the walls, running out of air and weak. Martha spotted her friend Julia helping a young woman with an oxygen mask.

"How much oxygen is there left?" she asked.

"Not enough for all these people, we're gonna run out," said Julia. The Doctor looked at Martha, concern showing briefly on his face.

"You alright?"

"Running on adrenalin."

"Welcome to my world," he smiled. "Oh, Rose. You ok."

"Yes," she said. "Fine. But what about the judoon?"

"They've got a big lung reserve, they'll be all right," said the Doctor. He spun round to face Martha. "Now where's Mr Stoker's office?"

"This way," she said.

III

"But she's gone she was here," said Martha, as the three of them burst into the office. The Doctor gently moved her so he could get a good look at Mr Stoker's body.

"Drained him dry," he said. "Every last drop. I was right, she is a plasmavore."

"What's she doing on earth."

"Hiding, on the run," he muttered. "But what's she doing now? She's still not safe, the Judoon could execute us all- come on Martha… Rose…"

"Wait!" she said, bending down. With a quick flick of her fingers she snapped his eyes shut. The Doctor looked down at her, feeling his hearts flutter in his chest. Rose felt an ounce of respect bleed up inside her for the young med student. She nodded at them and they hurried out.

"But think think think," said the Doctor. "If I was a wanted plasmavore, surrounded by police what would I do… uh oh-" Martha followed his gaze, he was looking at the arrow on the wall. It was pointing towards the MRI department. "She's as clever as m. Almost."

"Non human! Execute!" As one, they spun round. Although they couldn't see the Judoon it was clear they were storming closer at every second. The Doctor spun round to face Rose and Martha. He looked at Rose for the briefest of seconds, registering the cross on her hand.

"Rose," he said. "What I'm about to do, I'm sorry. It can't be you, I'll explain later."

"What?"

"Sorry," he said. "And Martha, I need time, stay here you've got to hold them up."

"How?" she asked. "And why does it have to be me?"

"They know she's human," he said. "Just forgive me for this. It could save thousands of lives. And it means… it means… n-nothing. It means nothing." The next thing Martha knew he had grabbed her by the neck, knotted his hands in her hair and his lips were around hers. Oh. My. God.

The kiss lasted a few seconds before he released her, gasped and ran off. Martha's mouth fell open and she looked across at Rose. Rose was stunned into silence.

"What the..." she whispered. Martha tried to defend herself. 

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything he just kissed me-"

"That wasn't a kiss," spat Rose. "I don't know what it was but it wasn't a kiss. He wouldn't do that to me."

"It certainly looked like a kiss," said Martha. "And it tasted like a kiss." Then she bit her lip. She couldn't help but pretend that the Doctor had kissed her. It had felt so right. She wished he wasn't married. She wished Rose didn't exist. She'd never had a kiss like that in her life, never. And it had only lasted seconds. She imagined kissing him for hours. She imagined twisting her fingers through his hair and slowly forcing him backwards onto a bed…

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, as if Rose could read her thoughts. Then, to herself- "It was a kiss… and to me it was a hell of a lot more than nothing." Then her head jerked up as she saw the Judoon thundering towards her. Rose slid out the way leaving Martha standing alone in the middle of the corridor.

"Now, listen I know who you're looking for, and she's this woman, she calls herself Florence-"

"Human," announced the Judoon captain. "Wait! Partial Non Human element confirmed! Authorise full scan!" The other Judoon raised the guns and Martha was pressed up against the wall. She gasped as all the Judoon shone blue lights in her face. "What are you," growled the Judoon. "WHAT ARE YOU!"

"Her names Florence Finnegan," said Martha. Her breath caught in her throat and for the first time she felt the effects of the oxygen deprival. She sucked in a deep breath. How much longer?

"Confirm: human. Traces of facial contact with Non Human… continue the search. You will need this."

"What this for?" asked Martha as the Judoon tramped away.

"Compensation." Martha looked around for Rose; the blonde was slowly walking back over to her.

"Are… are you ok?" she asked flatly. Martha was shocked.

"Yes," she said. "Thanks for asking… Rose." She nodded quietly, and Martha could see a little tear beaded in the corner of her eye.

"We should find the Doctor," Rose mumbled. Then she moaned, and swayed slightly.

"Rose!"

"It's nothing," she said. "The air… the air's so thin." Martha took in a breath, she felt it too.

"The Doctor will help," she said. "Come on. We have to find him." And they followed the Judoon.

As they followed the Judoon through the door of the MRI department, Martha saw as the Doctor fell to the ground, his eyes closed, his skin pale. She gasped.

"Now see what you've done! This poor man's just died of fright!"

"Scan him!" grunted the Judoon. "Confirmation: deceased."

"No," moaned Rose. "He can't be, don't you dare say that, don't ever say that-"

"He can't be, let us through, let me see him," said Martha. The Judoon thrust out a hand stopping her.

"Case closed," said the Judoon. Martha thrashed out desperately.

"But it was her! She killed him, she did it, murdered him-" Rose began to cry, and Martha was on the verge of tears too.

"Judoon have no authority over human crime."

"But she's not human!" screamed Rose.

"Oh but I am, surely? I've been catalogued."

"But she's not," said Martha. "She assimilated- wait a minute. You drank his blood. The Doctor's blood." She snatched the device and pointed it at the plasmavore.

"I don't mind, scan all you like," said Florence airily.

"Non human!" said the Judoon.

"What!"

"Confirm analysis!" The rest of the Judoon held out their devices.

"But- that's a mistake it's got to be, I'm human, I'm as human as they come!" Martha sighed, looking down at the body of the man she thought she was falling for. Rose Tyler, a widow…

"He gave his life so they'd find you," she said.

"Confirm: plasmavore. Charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Padrivole Regency Nine."

"And she deserved it," husked Florence Finnegan. "All the blonde curls and the rosy and that simpering voice- oh she was begging for the bite of a plasmavore!"

"Then you confess?"

"Confess? I'm PROUD of it. Slab, stop them." The slab stepped forward and was consumed by the fire of the Judoon guns. Florence ran into the booth.

"Verdict, guiltly. Sentence: execution." The Judoon lumbered into a circle, raised their guns ready to fire.

"Enjoy your victory!" she screamed. "Because you're going to burn with me, burn in hellllllllll!" And in a ball of blistering energy, she was gone.

"Case closed."

"Doctor," whispered Rose, rocking back and forth.

"But what did she mean, burn with me? The scanner shouldn't be doing that she's done something-"

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of mono-magnetic pulse."

"Well do something, stop it!" cried Martha.

"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate."

"What!" cried Martha. "But you can't leave it! What's it going to do?" The Judoon ignored her and began to turn and leave in that lurching march. Martha followed them, her lungs begging for oxygen. Rose had given up; she slumped down in the corner, tears blotting her mascara.

"You can't just go! That thing's going to explode and it's all your fault!" A wave of dizziness washed over her and she let out a sob of frustration as she ran back to the MRI room.

"Rose, help me," she said. Rose shook her head.

"He's dead," she whispered.

"He might not be," she said. "Come on. We need to… to apply CPR." Her breaths were wheezing now as she began to pound his chest. Rose watched, tears travelling down her cheeks. Then she nodded.

"Yes," she said. "Tell me what to do."

"Hands here," she said. "Pump. One, two three. Then I do mouth to mouth. We'll do this." Rose nodded, her hands clenched together as they worked against his chest. She gasped, leaning against Martha as the two women worked together. They were so weak now, the air was so thin, so little and they were literally supporting eachother's weight.

"Two hearts," whispered Martha suddenly. "Rose! Other side!"

"Other side," she gasped. "Right." Then she slid to the floor, her eyes shut. Martha coughed. There was no air left. She pressed her lips to the Doctor's and gave him her last breath before falling down, down, down. She saw the Doctor move, look at her.

"Scanner," she husked. "She did something." His face swam before her eyes and the blackness swallowed her whole.


	4. A suprise

**Ok, so this chapter is a tad shorter than usual and it is a bit boring- but it contains some subtle Rose poning and suchlike so try to enjoy, yeah. Next chapter- the Shakespearian code- me style!**

Martha was sat on the inside of the ambulance pondering the events of the past day. Her head hurt a little and every so often her lungs throbbed but other than that she was fine- and ready to party in a few hours as well. She wondered if she'd ever see the Doctor again- hell she wanted to. But at the same time that would mean confronting Rose as well- something she was equally eager to avoid.

It had been a terrifying experience- but the best day of her life. She remembered the surface of the moon, glistening white as she stood on the balcony. She remembered the running, the constant, pounding ever-lasting running. She remembered the kiss. His lips clamped around hers, his breath hot in her mouth she would do anything to relive those few moments just once more. Just once.

Tish said she was on the way- stuck in the car at this precise moment the roads were completely jammed up- but still on the way.

"Hello Martha Jones," somebody murmured in her ear. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt the Doctor's breath flutter against her ear.

"Hello," she said. "Why couldn't you come round the front like a normal person?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he said. "Alone."

_Away from your wife, you mean. _Martha remembered his words in the canteen earlier that morning. "I really, really like you." She swivelled round on her bum to look at him.

"So talk," she said. He nodded.

"Right. Talk. Right. Uh… how are you?" Martha rolled her eyes.

"Is that the best you could come up with? And I'm fine. I'm not the one who had their blood assimilated by a plasmavore on the run."

"Hmm," said the Doctor, rubbing his neck. "Well I managed to sort out the scanner."

"I knew you would," said Martha. "So you're ok now?"

"Me? Fit as a fiddle, Miss Jones. Never better."

"Glad to hear," said Martha. "And Rose?"

"Same goes for her," he said, but this time his smile seemed more false. "In fact she's… a bit annoyed with me. I think I may have pissed her off a tad."

"Really? You think?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "Apparently… look she slapped me."

"I'm still working out if you didn't deserve it," said Martha.

"It really hurt," he moaned.

"Oh shut up," she said, shoving him gently with her arm. "What was so important you wanted to talk to me about then?"

"The… kiss," he said. "Is not sitting too well with Rose."

"Really?"

"Doctor!" Martha could hear Rose's voice calling him through the swarms of people. He swore.

"Listen to me," he said. "I am not in love with Rose. Not in the least. I hardly like her, hardly know her any more. Something changed. She used to be my best mate. I can't figure it out."

"Why did you marry her?" whispered Martha.

"I don't know," he whimpered. "There was this women she just appeared on the TARDIS after the battle of canary wharf. She was called Donna Noble. And for the first time I saw Rose for what she really was. A…"

"Don't say it," said Martha. "I don't want to be responsible for you slagging off your wife behind her back."

"Fine," huffed the Doctor. "I didn't like her. These negative feelings had been growing inside me for ages, ever since I regenerated and I slowly realised how I really felt about her, how much she annoyed me. And when she and Donna met, the fireworks really started. I gave Donna my jacket you see, and Rose went mental. Sobbing and crying and shouting and swearing… it was awful. She became more clingy, more obsessive. She already was those things but now she was more so."

"Why?" asked Martha. "What happened?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "But I think she found out something, something in canary wharf that scared her. And when we saw her family again- her mother, father and her ex Mickey- her mother was in the same state. She begged me to marry her daughter, screaming at me. She slapped me- let me tell you that THAT runs in the family, and it was all I could do to agree. I think that Jackie and Rose found out something, or were told something… but I have no idea what."

"Why don't you ask them?" Martha said.

"I tried to bring it up with Rose once," said the Doctor. "And I didn't see her for three days after that."

"You're not in love with Rose," said Martha. "Are you going to get a divorce?"

"No!" he said. "Jackie scares me."

"Rose's Mum scares you?" asked Martha.

"And sometimes, so does her daughter."

"But come on. You must have some idea. What would have made her so upset about something?"

"I don't know," he said. "I don't care, frankly."

"I do," said Martha. "If we found it out, we could fix it." Then she stopped, and looked embarrassed. "Or maybe not we. Just you. Because I have to go and I don't want to intrude or anything."

"No intrusion," he said quickly. "I'd love to have you around… whenever. Honestly." She smiled sadly.

"Thanks," she said. "But I have my own place. And my own life. I appreciate everything you did and you saved my life-"

"You saved my life," he said. "And thank you."

"DOCTOR YOU GET HERE RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME-" Rose.

"Shit, Rose," he said. He bent forward and kissed Martha on the forehead. Then his lips hovered over hers before he sighed and snatched himself back at the last moment. "I swear I'll see you later, though. I'll come back."

"You don't have to," she said, but her voice faltered. "OK, I'd like that."

"DOCTOR I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DO NOT GET YOUR MISERABLE LITTLE ARSE-"

"Rose I'm coming," he called out. "Martha I swear, I'm coming back. I want to see you again." Martha nodded as he left the ambulance looking for his wife. Then something hit her- hard.

"Tish!"

"Oh my God I thought you were dead, what happened? It was so weird. Cos the police wouldn't say, and they didn't have a clue and I tried phoning, Mum's on her way but she can't get through, there's thousands of people trying to get through, they've closed off the roads the whole city's come to a halt and Dad's phoned cos it was on the news and everything, he was crying, oh my God it's been a mess, but what happened, I mean what really happened, where were you?" Martha looked over her sister's head and saw the Doctor and Rose. She couldn't hear them but by their body language she could tell they were rowing. The Doctor looked her way and their eyes met, just for a second. Martha smiled.

"He's coming back," she said. And she smiled.

III

Rose sat on the console watching her husband work on the TARDIS. He straightened up and looked at her.

"Rose why don't you go and do something else," he said. "You must be bored just watching me."

"I'm not bored," she said. "And I'm not letting you out of my sight just in case you start running after Martha again," she said.

"Rose, drop it," he warned her. "She sighed."

"The second I turn my back, you're snogging the face off of some slutty little med student. And by the look on her poisonous little face she wasn't exactly hating the attention was she? I mean, did you see?"

"I said drop it," he growled. "Martha Jones saved my life, your life and half the earth's life so just DROP IT!"

"But why did you kiss her?" she shouted back. The Doctor straightened up.

"It was a genetic transfer," he said coolly. "The judoon knew you were human we needed somebody to distract them. Their scanners revealed traces of me on Martha and that slowed them down. There was nothing… in that kiss."

"Ok," whispered Rose. She walked over him and enveloped him a hug. "I forgive you." He nodded, patting her gently on the back, trying to fake affection. But affection was one of those things that was hard to fake- his hearts were growing colder and colder when regarding Rose Tyler. When regarding Martha Jones, however, his hearts were engulfed with flaming tendrils of fire and warmth. He shook the feelings from his mind.

"See it was all I wanted. Reassurance," she was saying. She reached up and kissed his face, his nose, his eyelids and his mouth. He barely reacted. Then he remembered he was supposed to be in love with her and half-heartedly kissed her. "What shall we do now then?" she asked.

"Dunno," he shrugged. "I was gonna go and ask the TARDIS nicely if she could give me a new sonic."

"I could never talk to the TARDIS," said Rose. "I've tried but she never seems to respond."

"Hmm," said the Doctor. "Ah well. Never mind." The TARDIS, not unlike the Doctor, had never really warmed up to Rose.

"Then what?" asked Rose. "We could… get you out of these clothes."

"Uh… maybe," said the Doctor. The couple hardly ever made love- and when they did it was strictly Rose doing all the effort- and the Doctor was quite happy with it being that way. "Actually I promised to come back for… Martha."

"Martha," said Rose. "Dr Martha Jones. Right. But that's fine because I am going to have a little surprise for you later tonight. And no little... intruder like Martha is going to interfere with my marriage."

"I'll look forward to it," he said weakly. She raised her eyebrows seductively and kissed his again.

"Love you," she said, and danced out the room. The Doctor sighed.

"Martha wouldn't need reassurance," he muttered. "Martha wouldn't need constant bloody reassurance." He lashed out at the TARDIS, who moaned in protest. "Sorry," he said. "I'm going to get her now." And he released the hand break.

III

"I will stay here to be insulted!" The Doctor watched as a group of people filtered out of a pub- he could only presume they were Martha's parents- and who was that blonde woman?

"All she meant was that you looked healthy!"

"No I said orange!" The Doctor's heart leapt as she saw Martha follow her parents out of the pub with two others about the same age as her- her brother and sister. The party. Leo's 21st. He smiled. She really did look beautiful in that red leather jacket. He watched as the argument progressed into shouts, Martha's sister was yelling abuse the 'Annalise' girl (who he was ashamed to admit reminded him a little of Rose) and her parents stalked off in opposite directions, leaving Martha outside the pub, forgotten and alone.

Then she looked up at their gaze met. He smiled at her and she matched his expression. Then she looked around to check her family weren't in sight, and jogged across the road to join him.

He led her to the TARDIS and leant against the door. Rose was inside, put he knew he would be spying on them though the scanner on the TARDIS console. Martha smiled.

"I went to the moon today," she said.

"Bit more peaceful than down here," he said. She rolled her eyes.

"But you never even told me who you are," she said.

"I'm the Doctor."

"Yeah, but what species? And it's not every day you get to ask that."

"I'm a Time Lord."

"Right," she grinned. "So not pompous at all then?" He chuckled and pulled something out of his pocket.

"I've just thought… since you saved my life and I've got a brand you sonic screwdriver which needs road testing- you might fancy a trip."

"What into space," said Martha wistfully. "But… I can't I've got things to do, I've got exams I've got to go to town first thing in the morning to pay the rent I've got my family going mad-"

"If it helps," he said, turning her insides to mush with that adorable little smile. "It can travel in time too."

"Get out of here." she said.

"It can!"

"Come on, that's going to far."

"Don't you believe me?" he asked.

"No," she said decidedly.

"Did you believe me when I said I really liked you?" he asked his voice dropping to a whisper. "Did you believe me when I said that the marriage between myself and my wife was untrue? Did you believe our kiss?"

"I don't… I'm not sure…" she managed. His voice cracked.

"Didn't I prove myself right when I said I'd come back for you?"

"Well yes, but…"

"Have I ever let you down?" he hissed.

"What are you talking about," she said. "We met this morning."

"What would you do if I said I loved you?" asked the Doctor.

"I'd tell you to shut up and stop acting crazy," she said. "Like I said, we met this morning. Now is your ship a time machine, or not."

"Yes," he said. She put a hand on her hip.

"Prove it."

"Fine," he said. "Come on then." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the TARDIS.

"Oh my God!" she cried. "It's… bigger on the inside!"

"No shit," snorted Rose. Martha spun round, still freaked out by the whole… bigger on the inside… thing.

"Hey," she said, dropping the Doctor's hand. "I was just…"

"We are taking Martha Jones on a trip," said the Doctor. "A trip or two. Or maybe a few. Or she might end up… but whatever."

"Just a trip," said Martha. "Just one trip."

"Actually," said Rose. "I'm really, really tired, I want to go to bed."

"Ok," said the Doctor. "We'll go and you can have a nap-"

"No!" said Rose. "I'm not leaving you alone with her! No, we'll all get a few hours- I mean what time is it? Not that early, so we'll do that and I'll give you my little surprise," she said, whispering the last few words. The Doctor looked at Martha who smiled tightly.

"Fine," she said. "I'll just leave you to it. I'll go now." She made for the door.

"Martha!" cried the Doctor. "Where are you going?"

"Home," she said. "I think the party's over and it looks like I'm gonna be in the way if I stick around any longer so I'll just be seeing you in the morning or something."

"No, don't do that!" he said, slamming the door before she could step out. "There are loads of rooms, loads, you can chose any one you like, and then later on we'll go somewhere, yeah?"

"Ok," said Martha. "Thanks, Doctor."

"That's ok," he said. "Look around. Go to the library- I think you'd like it."

"Will do," said Martha. She rubbed her head. "Weird," she said. "I can hear this voice in my head. It's like your ships talking to me."

"What!" yelped Rose. The Doctor smiled. It was at that point he knew that he wanted Martha around for ever.


	5. One trip

**Ok, I'm back into fanfiction world! Yes it's been a forever since I uploaded but it's Wimbledon season which only happens once a year so the little free time I have been scraping together have been spent on the tennis (and what about Roger Federer going out to this Tsonga bloke? Controversial or what?) Ok, so I may have slightly hurt Rose a lot on this chapter but does anyone out there care? No? Good good- and me neither.**

Martha lay in the bed listening to the Doctor and Rose make love in the room two doors down. She sighed, and buried her head in the pillow, waiting for Rose's high pitched cries to stop. On one hand this was incredible (her mind was still trying to come to terms with the dimensionally transcendental thing, but she was getting there) but on the other it was stupid. She was falling for a man who was married to another woman. And the worst thing was- he was displaying affection right back at her. She needed to get out- but she sure as hell wasn't.

She listened as the silence settled on the TARDIS and the one-sided pants from the room (Rose's) became slow breaths as she fell asleep. Martha got up and crept out of her room. She wanted to look around.

"Oh!" she bumped into someone. Looking up she saw the face of the Doctor, as he stood naked in the corridor. He blushed and fumbled for a robe.

"Uh… sorry," he muttered. "I was just… I didn't know you were there."

"It's fine," she said, keeping her eyes trained up at his face. She nodded her head in the direction of the room he had just vacated. "Good?"

"Ok," he said. "Where were you off to?"

"The library," she said. "I remembered what you said and I thought it could help clear my head a little."

"Good idea," he said. "I'll show you round. You don't know the way."

"Actually I kind of do," she said. "It's like somebody's in my head, prompting me. The TARDIS. Your ship. Does she do this to everyone?"

"Not everyone," admitted the Doctor, thinking of Rose. He smiled. "But I'll come with you anyway."

"Ok," said Martha. They began walking through the TARDIS until they reached the library. She stopped in the doorway. "Wow," she whispered. "It's…"

"Pretty big," said the Doctor. "I know. Rose doesn't come in here much. If you ever wanted to avoid her I'd come here."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Martha, then stopped herself when she realised that she's joined in with the Rose bitching. She touched the nearest shelf of books and smiled broadly. "Wow," she repeated. "Wow, wow, wow."

"Sit down," said the Doctor. "In the squashy seat. It's my favourite- it's so squashy."

"And very purple," she remarked, relaxing down into the chair. He sat down by her.

"You look cute in the pj's," he said abruptly. Martha blushed.

"Thanks," she said shyly. "So what books you got?"

"Everything," said the Doctor. "Literally. Well almost everything. Everything good. Look, earthy stuff." He pointed at a number of shelves. "And non earthy stuff," he pointed at the rest of the room.

"I am so going for non earthy," said Martha. She stepped over to the nearest shelf.

"That's human books," said the Doctor.

"I know," she said. "It's just I spotted something…" She slid a thick book out of the shelf. "Shakespeare's complete work," she grinned.

"Shakespeare!" said the Doctor. "You know what I've never met him."

"As a matter of fact neither have I," grinned Martha.

"Really? In that case there's only once course of action isn't there," he said. "Coz I bet he's brilliant. Very human. I don't even know what he looks like- seven hundred odd years of time travel and I've never met Shakespeare. A bit of a let down really. I should do better in future. So you know what we should do?"

"What?" whispered Martha, too scared of being let down to guess.

"Meet him! I'll get the old TARDIS up and started and we'll hit London!"

"Doctor!" Martha caught his arm, stopping his from running out the room. "I need to say something."

"What?" he asked. She sighed.

"Listen," she said. "You and Rose are married and I of all people understand that married couples hate having somebody else around 24/7 interfering with their private life and so on. And this is amazing, you, your ship, everything is unbelievable but I just need to make something clear. This trip is where it ends. One quick trip back in time or else you'll start hating me. Just this trip, then I have to go."

"Why?" he said.

"It's not fair! You and Rose can't have me around listening in on your husband to wife conversations and prying on all your married… stuff. And I have things to do, like I said, it's better this way."

"Firstly me and Rose don't have many husband to wife conversations," said the Doctor. "And secondly I would never, ever start to hate you. I'd like you to stay on a bit longer."

"Firstly," said Martha, mimicking his speech patterns. "No. And secondly, before we go meet Shakespeare…" she grinned. "Get some clothes on." The Doctor smiled.

"Ok," he said, knowing that he'd persuade her later. "Go into my old room, the one between yours and ours and get out a shirt like I was wearing yesterday. And some shoes."

"Ok," she said.

"I'll wake Rose," he said. "I suppose. And then we'll go!" They walked back through the TARDIS briskly. Martha went into his room and immediately crossed over to the wardrobe. She opened it, gasped, and then giggled. It was stuffed full of identical suits and the floor was littered with converses. She grabbed some and made her way to the door- bumping into Rose Tyler. Rose's eyes widened.

"What the… what the hell were you doing in his room?" she gasped, pulling the chord of her robe tighter.

"Getting his clothes for him," Martha replied. Rose put a hand on his hip.

"Why did he need them in the first place?"

"No time for chatting," said the Doctor, sweeping past. "Rose, get dressed. Quickly." Rose sighed and walked back into her room. The Doctor took his clothes from Martha. "Thank you," he said. She walked out the room and paused by the doorway.

"What are you waiting for?" said a voice behind her. She turned and saw the Doctor, fully dressed. "Hurry up!"

"What the…" she smiled. But he was already striding to the console room. Martha followed him.

"But how do you make it travel in time what makes it go?"

"Oh let's just take the fun and mystery out of everything- Martha you don't wanna know. It just does." Martha gasped as he climbed onto the console to push a lever with his foot. Then she metal floor rose up to meet her as she was hurled from her feet to the ground.

"Blimey! Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes and I failed," he said. "Rose!" Rose sullenly stepped out. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," she said.

"Well Martha," said the Doctor. "Make the most of it. Apparently you'll only be coming on this one little trip- though I think that is subject to change- so one trip only at the mo. But outside this door… brave new world."

"Where are we?" asked Martha.

"Take a look."

"Oh for heaven's sake," sighed Rose, pushing past and opening the door. Martha sighed- the magic was broken. The Doctor mouthed 'sorry' at her, and shrugged. Their eyes met and suddenly Martha was somewhere else.

"Erm…" she mumbled. Then there was a high-pitched scream and Rose stormed back into the TARDIS.

"Don't talk to me!"

"Rose! Rose, what is it?" cried the Doctor. Rose spun round, and Martha saw something disgusting dripping from her hair.

"Some guy emptied his loo all over me," she moaned. The Doctor turned to Martha.

"There we go," he smirked. "Somewhere before the invention of the toilet."

"This is not funny!" shrieked Rose. The Doctor smiled sympathetically.

"Go get yourself cleaned up, catch us up," he said.

"Can't you wait for me," she moaned.

"I would but otherwise we'll miss the play," he said.

"The play?" Martha said. Rose shot her a look that shouted 'don't interfere bitch!'

"Ple-ease," she wined.

"Sorry," said the Doctor. "I'll see you later." He pecked her on the cheek the same way someone would kiss their Grandma and trotted out the TARDIS. Martha avoided Rose's gaze as she followed him.

III

Martha and the Doctor clapped and cheered along with everyone else as Shakespeare skipped onto the stage to take a bow.

"Shut your big fat mouths!" Martha laughed.

"Never meet your heroes," she said when the Doctor looked disappointed. They listened as he shouted to the crowd about his new play 'loves labours won' and as he came to the end of his speech, Martha saw Rose sidle in. Her eyes scanned the crowd until she picked them out and she pushed her way towards them.

"Thanks for waiting," she huffed.

"Rose," said the Doctor. "Excellent. Got it out your hair-"

"Yes," she hissed. "I have actually. I missed the play then."

"Just a little," said the Doctor. "It was good, wasn't it Martha. Very romantic."

"Ok, we've seen Shakespeare, can we go now?" Rose snapped as they wandered away with the crowd.

"You know, I'm not an expert but I've never heard of 'love's labours won'," said Martha.

"No, you won't have, it's a lost play," said the Doctor. "Sorry, Rose, did you say something?" 

"No," she growled.

"Anyway, as I was saying, a lost play. Doesn't exist, only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never turns up. No one knows why."

"Have you got a mini disc or something? We could tape it. We could flog it. Sell it when we get back make a mint."

"No," said the Doctor.

"That would be bad."

"Yeah."

"So how come it disappeared in the first place?" Rose cut in. Martha looked up at the Doctor.

"I know I said I was only after one quick trip in the TARDIS. But I suppose… could we stay a bit longer?" Martha asked.

"I was hoping you'd stay that. And now… allonsy!"

III

"I've just got the final scene to go. You'll get it by morning." Martha looked over the Doctor's shoulder as he tapped on the door.

"Hello," he said. "I'm not interrupting am I? Mr Shakespeare isn't it?"

"Oh no, no, no, no. Who let them in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove-" his words trailed off. "Hey nonny, nonny," he murmured. "Sit right down here next to me." The Doctor clenched his fists when he realised that Shakespeare was talking to Martha. Rose stepped out from behind her husband.

"See," she whispered. "Looking for another snog with Shakespeare this time. First you now him."

"And another one," beamed Shakespeare. "You better sit down here on my other side." Rose nodded at the Doctor and crossed over to Shakespeare.

"Come on, lads," whispered the women who was at the table. "I think William's found his new muses."

"Sweet ladies," said Shakespeare. "Such unusual clothes. So fitted." He bent forward to take a swig of his drink and Rose leant across him to speak to Martha.

"Think you're so desirable," she hissed. "Then why don't we have a little friendly competition? The one of us Shakespeare hits on the most, wins."

"That's stupid," said Martha. "You're married! You're husband is there!"

"Doesn't stop him!" she replied viciously. "You up for it or not?"

"No," said Martha. "It's stupid!"

"Find me too intimidating, do you?" she snarled. "You have a right to. The Doctor picked me over you and nothing, nobody can take him away. Now matter what anybody says."

"Fine," spat Martha. "Fine." Rose's teeth glinted in a smile.

"May the best woman win." She sighed and leaned back. "So you're a playwright," she said. "Uh… where do you get your ideas from?"

"I bet everyone asks him that," said Martha.

"In fact they do," said Shakespeare. "And your name is?" 

"Her name's Martha Jones," said the Doctor. "And she is my responsibility." Martha rolled her eyes.

"And what of Martha's friend, the blonde beauty over here?"

"Rose is my wife," said the Doctor unenthusiastically.

"In that case I will concentrate my affections on this delicious blackamoor lady!" Rose swore.


	6. Puzzles

**Ok, so I have two apologies. Firstly, it took forever, various other commitments arose at the same time and I was pretty much tied down. Excuses, excuses. And secondly, this is a measly sized chapter. Stingy. You know I love my cliffies and I felt like that card had been ignored for too long. Next chapter will be up quicker, I promise. **

"I am returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, Love's labours won will never be performed!" And Linley stormed out.

"Well then, mystery solved," said Martha taking a sip out of her tankard. "There's loves labours won all over and done with. I just thought it would be something more… I don't know… mysterious." Then came the sound of screams.

All four of the people were used to hearing screams. The Doctor and Rose heard the screams of grief and fear as they went around helping people on their travels. Martha heard screams of pain as patients went through agonizing procedures- and of course yesterday while on the moon. Shakespeare was used to hearing screams of admiration as he stepped onto the stage to collect his bows. But he had never heard screams like that before in his life.

"What the…" All four of them pounded down the stairs and into the street where they say Linley, who had been talking to them moments before, spinning round, water dribbling from his parted lips.

"It's that Linley bloke," breathed Martha.

"What wrong with him? Leave it to men- I'm a Doctor!"

"So am I- near enough," said Martha. But Rose stopped her with a hand clenched around her wrist.

"Not let your not," she spat. "And don't you forget it." Linley twisted and fell, his eyes sliding closed. Martha slapped the younger women's hand away from her arm.

"I need to help this man." She bent down to administer mouth-to-mouth but recoiled with a cry of alarm as water dribbled out of his mouth. "What the hell is that?"

"I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water- he drowned and then…. I dunno like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." He stood up and addressed Dolly Bailey, the woman from the pub. "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him removed."

"Yes sir," whispered Dolly.

"And why are you telling them that?" asked Martha.

"And what does that even mean?" snorted Rose. Then she regretted it. Martha was a swot- she probably knew what it meant.

"This lot still have one foot in the Dark ages. If I tell hem the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"Okay, what was it then?"

"Witchcraft."

III

"I got you a couple of rooms, sir Doctor. You and your wife are just across the landing, next to Miss Jones."

"Oh, thanks," said the Doctor. Shakespeare sighed.

"Poor Lynley. So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"

"She's not actually a doctor yet," cut in Rose.

"She is near enough from what I just witnessed," purred Shakespeare. Martha smiled shyly. He raised his eyebrows.

"I think it's time to say goodnight," said the Doctor placing himself carefully between Shakespeare and Martha.

"But there are so many puzzles still remaining to be deciphered. You, Sir Doctor. How can a man with a face so young have eyes so young?"

"I do a lot of reading," he said in a monotone.

"A trite reply. Yeah that's what I'd do." He looked back at Martha. "And you look at him like you're surprised he exists. He's as much as a puzzle to you as he is to me."

"I think we should leave," said Martha.

"And you, Mrs Doctor. You look at him like he's firmly in your grasp. Or at least you think he is. You look at him like…"

"Like he's my husband, yes. Come on Doctor, we need to go." She took his arm and tried to lead him away. He hesitated in the doorway and smiled at Martha.

"Good night," he said.

"Night," she replied. He smiled sweetly and reluctantly left.

"May I ask you a question?" Shakespeare said.

"Depends on the question," she replied warily.

"Did the Doctor meet you or his wife, first?"

"Rose came first."

"I thought so." He leaned forward. "Did you ever think what would have happened if you had?"

"Maybe," she said after a pause. "Maybe once or twice."

"Another one of your puzzles," sighed Shakespeare. "Why did a man like that marry a woman like that when somebody like you is around." Martha smiled.

"I should go," she said again. "Night." But in her head she secretly agreed.

III

Martha was examining her room when somebody tapped on the adjoining doors and stepped in.

"Hello." It was the Doctor.

"Not exactly five star is it?"

"Oh it'll do. Seen worse," said the Doctor dismissingly.

"Haven't even got a toothbrush."

"Ooh!" He passed her a toothbrush. "Contains Venusians spearmint." He flopped down on her bed. "Are you coming?" he asked, indicating to the bed.

"This isn't your room," said Martha.

"Oh yeah," he said. "Nah well. I'll stay here for a while."

"Won't Rose mind?"

"She's in the loo fixing her make up," said the Doctor.

"Right," said Martha. "How long is she likely to me… one hour or two?" Meow, she added in her head, and cringed. The Doctor chuckled.

"Somewhere in the middle."

"So magic and stuff. Is it real? I mean, witches, black magic, it's real?"

"Course it isn't!"

"Well how am I supposed to know! I've only just starting believing in time travel give me a break."

"Looks like witchcraft but it can't be. There's such a thing as physics energy but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No, there's something I'm missing, Martha. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it. Are you gonna stand there all day? You must be tired it's quite late earth time. You didn't get to sleep in the TARDIS did you?" 

"Nobody could have slept through that racket," murmured Martha. She perched on the side of the bed. "Budge up." He did so and she slid onto the bed. He turned and stared into her deep brown orbs.

"Staring me right in the face," he said. "Just like you are." And he kissed her.

**Hehehe evil cliffie I promised. Reviews please**


	7. Unbreakable bond

**End of the Shakespeare code in this one. The description of the A/U Gridlock will be much shorter than the first to, probably not a whole chapter. Got an idea of where this is going now! Thanks for sticking close and reviewing! Makes my day!**

Martha's lips tingled as his hot, wet tongue traced them. She would have gasped in shock but her lips were blocked with his scalding kisses. Her mind froze, so she took the initiative. She kissed him back.

He pushed her head deep into the pillow as he rose above her, showering her face with kisses. His hands, previously holding her chin, travelled down her body. Hers rushed up into the mysterious folds of his thick hair and she massaged his scalp passionately. His hands snaked onto her hips and she felt his cool, soothing fingers against her burning hot body.

Then her brain kicked in.

"No!" she cried, pulling away from him. He snatched his hands away from her.

"Martha," he whispered, his breathes coming in pants. "Martha why?" She caught her breath, and then replied.

"We can't," she whispered. "We just can't."

"But I want you," he moaned, coming in for another kiss. It was against her instinct but she shuffled away.

"You're married," she said. "Listen, when I was eleven my life was turned upside-down by some tart my father had been shagging. My Mum was distraught, he was meant to be her husband. And I don't want to become that tart."

"You're right," he said. She nodded.

"You should go now." He sighed and got up off the bed, straightening his clothes.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, and hurried out the room.

III

Rose bent across her husband and kissed him on the lips.

"Hey honey," she whispered. He grunted in reply. "Whatcha thinking about."

"Something special," he said.

"Oh yeah?" said Rose, wriggling closer to him. "Me?"

"Mmm." The Doctor rolled over and stared at the door separating his and Martha's rooms.

III

Martha was staring at the door separating her and the Doctor's room when it suddenly burst open. She jumped up as both the Doctor and his wife burst through the door.

"We heard screams," said the Doctor. "Came from Shakespeare's room." Martha grabbed her jacket and they ran across to Shakespeare's room. The first thing she saw was Shakespeare waking up and the body of a women lying on the floor. Dolly Bailey, the landlady. She was dead.

Martha ran to the window, and her jaw fell slack.

"Her heart gave out. She died of fright."

"Doctor," said Martha. He picked up on her tone instantly.

"What did you see?"

"A witch."

III

Martha awoke the next day with a pain in her back and a sore neck. The bed wasn't the most comfortable she'd ever slept in. She washed her face with a jug of water somebody had put beside her bed and examined herself in the dirty mirror on the wall. She'd do. She heard a cockerel crow somewhere in the distance and wondered what the time was. Sunlight was streaming in through the window, but the sky was still streaked with red. It must be early.

She stepped into the hallway outside her room and saw the Doctor coming out his room.

"Martha," he exclaimed. "You're up."

"I am," she said, not sounding too pleased about the fact.

"There's breakfast going on downstairs if you want something," he said. She nodded.

"Yeah," she said, making for the stairs. The Doctor caught her arm. She hesitated, wondering if there was any meaning behind the contact. He read her mind, and dropped her hand.

"I just wanted to apologise," he said quietly. "Properly. I wasn't being fair."

"No. You weren't."_ Why did you have to sweep me off my feet like that?_

"I'm truly sorry," he said. "I'm going to sort everything out."

"Sorry," said Martha. "But this really is just one trip still. I can't hang round with you too like that. It's too awkward."

"Right," said the Doctor. "Course."

"Martha! Doctor!" It was Shakespeare, calling at them from a nearby room. "Come in and have breakfast with me. Rose is already in here." They walked into his office and sat down. Martha accepted a cup of tea and a piece of toast.

"But sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit?"

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light," said the Doctor said dreamily.

"I might use that," said Shakespeare.

"You can't it's somebody else's."

"But the thing is, Linley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you," said Martha.

"Are you accusing me?" asked Shakespeare incredulously.

"No! But I saw a witch. As big as you like, cackling away. And you've written about witches."

"Have I? When?"

"Not quite yet," said the Doctor lowly. Martha winced.

"Peeter Streete spoke of witches," said Shakespeare abruptly.

"Who's Peter Streete?"

"Our builder," said Shakespeare. "He sketched the plans for the globe." Rose watched as her husband jumped up and slammed a fist on the table.

"The architect. The architect, the architect, the architect! The globe, come on!"

III

Martha's head was spinning. They'd ran to the globe, talked at a fast pace, ran from the globe to a 'hospital' and were now face to face with a witch. An actual witch. Surreal barely covered it.

"Just one touch of the heart," the witch whispered, and prodded her gnarled finger at Peter's chest. The madman screamed and fell to the floor. Shakespeare didn't know what to do with himself.

"A witch! I'm seeing a witch."

"Who would be next? Just one touch. Oh, I'll stop your frantic little hearts. Poor, fragile mortals." Martha rattled the bars.

"Let us out! Let us out!"

"That's not going to work the whole building's shouting that!"

"Who will die first?" snarled Doomfinger. "Perhaps the little blonde one over here? She's been unusually quiet, hmmm."

"If you're looking for volunteers," said the Doctor, stepping forward. Rose jerked.

"No! Doctor, don't! I'll die in your place I'll volunteer I don't care, I'll do anything for you, I swear, that's how much I love you-"

"Rose, shut up," said the Doctor.

"Doctor," said Martha quietly. "Don't."

"Can you stop her?" asked Shakespeare.

"No mortal has power over me!"

"Doctor, don't do this," said Rose.

"Oh but there's a power in words," said the Doctor, ignoring Rose completely. "If I can just find the right one."

"None on earth has knowledge of us."

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think. Humanoid, female, uses shapes and words to channel energy… ah 14! That's it! 14! The 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!" The witch wailed and disappeared. There was a stunned silence.

"What did you do?" asked Martha.

"I named her. The power of a name. That's old magic."

"But there's no such thing as magic."

"Evidently there is," Rose pointed out.

"No, Martha's right. It's just a different sort of science. You lot chose mathematic. Given the right string of number, the right equation, you cans split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"For what?" asked Shakespeare warily.

"The end of the world."

III

There they stood on stage. Martha could feel her hair whipping around her face as the audience screamed in fear. Carrionites flew round the theatre on broomsticks, nothing but black, ragged blurs of motion. Martha felt a familiar feeling of helplessness numb her. The feeling of knowing there was nothing she could do. Like when a patient closed his eyes for the last time or the heart monitor droned in an eternal bleep. She watched the Doctor run over to Shakespeare.

"Come on Will! History needs you!"

"But what can I do?"

"Reverse it!"

"How!" Martha knew what was coming, and she was proved right when Shakespeare improvised a speech and shouted it to the skies.

"Close up this den of hateful, dire decay! Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show. Between the points 7-6-1-3-9-0 and banished like a tinkers cuss I say to thee…."

"Expelliarmous!" shouted Martha. The Doctor beamed at Martha like a proud parent.

"Good old JK!"

III

"And I say, a heart for a hart, and a dear for a deer!"

"I don't get it," admitted Martha.

"Then give me a joke from Freedonia."

"Ok. Shakespeare walks into a pub. The landlord goes 'oi mate. You're bard."

"It's brilliant! Doesn't make any sense, mind you, but never mind that." He wrapped an arm round his waist. Martha smiled, bewildered. First the Doctor, now Shakespeare. Maybe she was related to Tish after all.

"I've only just met you."

"The Doctor may never kiss you. Why not entertain a man who will?"

"I don't know how to tell you this 'oh great genius' but your breath doesn't half stink."

Rose stormed through from the props store and grabbed Martha by the arm. Martha shook her off, and Shakespeare looked at them curiously.

"What's going on?" he asked. Rose raised her hand and slapped Martha across the face. Martha gasped and Shakespeare jumped up protectively.

"Rose! What caused you to do that!"

"You little whore," snarled Rose. "I saw you last night. You and my husband. You forced him into your bed. Pulled him on top of you. Stuck your tongue down his throat. You sad, pathetic little lowlife. Jumping on the first man you see. If I hadn't walked in right now I'd bet everything you'd be rolling about on the floor shagging within the next ten minutes."

"It wasn't like that-"

"Don't you dare insult my intelligence," said Rose. "You took advantage of my poor, husband… he couldn't do anything about it. You home wrecking bitch."

"Now, now," said Shakespeare. "Is that entirely fair?"

"What's going on?" The Doctor walked into the room.

"Rose thinks she saw me 'take advantage of you' last night," said Martha.

"What?"

"Honey, I know it wasn't your fault," crooned Rose. "Martha started it, you couldn't do anything about it, thank God you threw her off at the last minute."

"Whatever," said Martha. "Whatever. I'm a slut. Whatever. It doesn't matter because I'm going home now."

"She even admits it," said Rose. "Martha, how can you live with yourself."

"Rose, leave it," snapped the Doctor. "We'll talk about it later. You too Martha."

"There's nothing to talk about," she said stubbornly.

"Yes there is," he insisted. He wasn't going to let her get away that easy.

"I don't know what to say," sighed Shakespeare. "Just… goodbye." Martha hugged him quickly, and walked out the theatre, tears in her eyes. It wasn't fair. She'd never hated somebody so much in her life. She could hear the Doctor running after her and she quickened her pace until she reached the TARDIS. She then realised she didn't have a key so was forced to wait until the Doctor came.

"Unlock the door then, I can get out the way quicker," she said.

"No," he said.

"Doctor, just unlock the door!"

"Listen to me," he said. "I'm really sorry. I'm not letting you leave." 

"You can't force me to stay where I'm not wanted."

"I want you." Martha felt a sudden déjà vu as she remembered what he'd said to her after she'd rejected his kisses.

"You're married," she said.

"I can't control how I feel about you," he said, touching her face.

"Don't touch me," she said. He dropped his hand.

"Martha," he whispered. "Stay."

"How can I?" she asked.

"Easily," he said. "Please. Just one more trip."

"One more trip of what. You and Rose fighting, me and Rose fighting, me slowly falling deeper in love with you…"

"You're falling in love with me?" he asked.

"Which is why I have to stifle it now," she said.

"But you don't. We could be together."

"Behind Rose's back? Really? One kiss and it didn't get past her. Do you really believe that?" He slid the key into the lock and she walked straight in. Rose was just approaching.

"Why did you run?" she asked.

"I have to talk to Martha," he sighed. She caught his arm.

"Don't be too cruel to her," she said softly. "I can understand the hate you feel for her, I feel it too, I know how much you want her out of our life. But she's ill; she messed up on the inside. Let her down slowly. For her sake."

"Unbelievable," he managed, before running to find Martha.

She was in the library, sat on the purple chair. She looked up when he entered.

"Why aren't I at home yet?" she asked.

"You know why," he said desperately. "Martha, please don't do this."

"Just one trip, Doctor," she said. "You knew that from the start."

"But how about one to the past and one to the future?"

"Doctor."

"I wouldn't complain," said the Doctor. "We'll just tell Rose this is the last trip, she won't bother you."

"You honestly believe that." Martha shrugged. "I think the real problem is you."

"Me?"

"You keep saying you don't love Rose. Leave her." He sagged.

"You don't understand."

"Then make me."

"I'm different to you."

"I know you are," she said. "But help me understand."

"Everything about us is different. I'm a Time Lord."

"And…"

"I come from Gallifrey."

"Gallifrey," she repeated.

"On Gallifrey, when we get married, forever means forever."

"Well it's meant to on earth as well but-"

"I told you ,you wouldn't understand." 

"Doctor!"

"Sorry. It's more than a marriage. Once a Time Lord marries, he can't take the easy way out."

"You can't divorce."

"Not exactly. The divorce must be wanted equally by both halves of the marriage. Both people must ask for separation and if they both want it then they are allowed it. It's in the vows."

"Who allows the divorce."

"The TARDIS," said the Doctor.

"But she knows how you feel. She loves you. I'm sure…."

"It's in her programming. Every TARDIS has basic programming. Not even I can override that. And I've tried."

"So what happens if you break the vow?"

"The TARDIS burns," said the Doctor. "From the inside out. And I could never do that to her."

"And Rose would never agree, would she." The Doctor shook his head.

"There's nothing we can do," he said. "We're stuck."

"I'm sorry," said Martha. "I understand." He smiled and rested his hand on hers.

"One more trip?"

"Ok."


	8. Trapped

**Ok, so this chapter is a bit of a cop out. I didn't know what to do on 'Gridlock' so I did this. Sorry :/**

Martha stood in the shower, massaging shampoo into her scalp as she tried to eradicate as much of the motorway fumes as humanly possible. She was tired, a common symptom of travelling in time, she had began to realise, and it was a relief to let the warm, soapy water soothe her aching body.

Her mind was throbbing. The Doctor had sat down and told her everything. Everything. The mysteries behind his ancient eyes, the reason for the pain that Martha had always been able to detect in his stance. He'd killed people before and despite his undeniable strength and power, Martha found that hard to take in. The man who had saved her life, saved a thousand lives has ended at least that many in the past.

And New, New York. That was something she wasn't expecting. When he's said future she'd naively expected a couple of centuries into her future to see how mankind was getting on. See about all the hover packs and other futuristic devices filmmakers had imagined. But no. They were literally on another world.

_Rose was sat in one of the TARDIS gardens. It was made to look like Gallifrey, a hologramic projection- but it seemed real to her. She smiled blissfully. Her plan had succeeded._

_The Doctor walked over to her and sat down. He smiled lovingly and kissed her gently. She hugged him close to her and smiled triumphantly._

_"I've been such a fool," the Doctor cursed softly._

_"You could never be a fool, my love," she replied._

_"But I have. I was too wrapped up in the moment that I refused to see Martha Jones as what she really is," he said, touching her face._

"_And what is she?"_

_"A bitch," he whispered. "An evil, ugly, manipulative bitch. I'm taking her home right now. Where she can't do any more damage."_

_"I've been trying to tell you," said Rose. "I'm sorry it took you so long."_

_"I know that now," he whispered. "You're intelligence must be great, greater than that of Martha's, as you saw past her scheme right away. I am so sorry. And I love you."_

_"What made you realise her as she really is?" _

_"You," he said. "You're beauty. You're intelligence. How you behaved today on New Earth. I think that triggered it. Remembering our first trip there, the love we felt for each other, the danger that almost tore us apart."_

_"Doctor," she whispered._

_"Rose."_

"_Doctor."_

_"Rose."_

"Doctor!" Rose jolted awake, the book on her lap toppled to the floor. She looked around, confused. She was in the library. When did she go to the library? Her memory slowly returned, and her heart sank. A dream. It had all been a dream. Nothing but a fantasy to taunt her and tease her. She picked up the book. It was a picture book, picture of Gallifrey. She'd never taken much interest in where the Doctor came from; all that mattered was that he was here and there for her. But now that Martha had asked… she needed to know. Martha couldn't know things that Rose didn't.

Her shoulders sagged. The plan had failed. Her plan to get him back where he belonged. She swore.

**Hours earlier:**

The Doctor bounced around the console energetically.

"So! Martha, Rose. Future. Future. Into the future. Back to the future. For us. Although for Martha you've never been to the future so it's just to the future for you. As in, not back to. The future that is. Anyways, suggestions."

"Actually I have a suggestion," said Rose.

"Fire away. Keep it brief. We have a trip to make."

"I was thinking about New Earth," she said. "I'm sure you'll remember Doctor, before we were married,"- she stressed the last word- "Before we declared our love we lay on the grass watching the skies and we had that… moment. And then how we were both willing to sacrifice our selves to save each other… you remember."

"I remember," he muttered. "But let's not go to the same place, Rose. Keep it fresh."

"New Earth?" asked Martha. "Sounds fascinating."

"Fascinating? That it was." The Doctor thought about it for a few seconds. "In that case, Martha, your wish is my command!" He began to work the TARDIS controls and both women stepped back a little. Rose flashed him a sexy smile every time he ran past but he seemed to miss it every time. As soon as they landed she took a point of hooking her arm around his.

"And off we go," she said sweetly."

**Present:**

Martha got out of the shower and quickly dried herself off, before slipping into a fresh robe the TARDIS had kindly provided. She smiled her thanks at the ancient but loving ship and twisted her hair into a towel. She walked into her room and sat down on a sofa, her face falling as she remembered what had happened to the great and powerful human race. It was a bit of a wake up call, seeing Shakespeare at the beginning of his revolution, imagining all the promising future that he and indeed the rest of his species were to have, and then immediately after the slums of New Earth, selling drugs to keep the room over their heads. Stealing, kidnapping without a second thought, just to try and get themselves to safety. That was scary. Scarier than witches. The realisation that the human race wouldn't last forever. Jumping through time put everything in perspective.

**Hours earlier:**

Martha stumbled as her kidnappers stumbled out of the alleyway and into the dim light. She struggled. In her rushed vision she saw the gun pointed at her, and gulped.

"The Doctor is so gonna kill you, never mind that I might kill you myself! Let go of me!" The gun was brought closer to her temple.

"Give her some sleep," said the male- Milo as Martha later found out.

"No!" Martha twisted her neck away. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare put that stuff in me, don't! Get off me!"

"It's just sleep 14!" Martha felt something being smoothed on her neck and she felt dizziness wash over her. She screamed in protest.

"Don't fight it!" Martha gave up, and slumped in the mans arms as she fell into an instant sleep.

**Present:**

Rose screamed in fury and threw the book on the floor, crumpling the pages. The TARDIS hummed in protest- she barely noticed. She couldn't deal with it. She thought that on visiting New Earth the Doctor would have a revelation. Realise his mistake. Because whatever she saw, she couldn't let him go. Never let him go. And she had to get Martha Jones out of the way. When Martha had been kidnapped there had been a surge of panic, thinking they were about to kill them, then relief. Then there was the feeling that everything might work out. They could relive what she considered their first date, the new Doctor and Rose that was, without the bitch med student mucking things up. It would have been, should have been perfect. But instead, the Doctor had adopted a stupid obsession with finding her again. It was the med student's fault she'd got caught, it shouldn't be her problem.

Martha shook her hair loose and began to brush it out as she sat on the edge of her bed. She heard somebody tap on her closed bedroom door.

"Hello?" she called out.

"Can I come in?" It was the Doctor. Martha closed her eyes. Please, please don't try anything, she begged silently. I might not be able to resist this time…

"Sure," she replied. He opened the door.

"Oh, you're busy. I'll come back later."

"No! No I'm not busy come in!" _Why did I say that? I am busy I don't want him to come in. What the hell am I thinking?_

"Ok," he said. "I needed to talk to you."

"What did you want to say?"

"I needed to make sure you were all right," he said. "Milo and Cheen were more rough with you that I would have liked."

"I'm fine," she said. "But thanks for your concern."

"I never asked though," he said, sitting down on the chair. "What with the whole face of Boe thing."

"That was a little time consuming," she said. "But actually, are you ok?"

"What d'you mean?"

"You know," she put the hairbrush down. "I'm not sure I should have forced you to tell me everything. I'm not sure it was good. It was interesting but opening old wounds isn't a cure."

"To be honest," he replied. "I'm glad I had somebody to talk it over with. I mean… Rose never asked me. She wasn't interested."

"Oh," said Martha. "Well… well I am. And I'm glad I found out all that stuff."

"I'm glad I told you." And for a moment he looked so unhappy Martha wanted to hug him.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

"I'm trapped," he whispered. "I can't get out. I've only just realised, properly realised I mean. I thought I could just run or I thought that something would come along and sort it out. I should have said no."

"It's not too late," Martha, said. "You can sort it out. Talk to Rose. Properly. Adult to adult."

"It won't work," he said. "As if Rose could ever pass as capable of a mature conversation."

"I thought that about you," said Martha. "Until our conversation about the Time war. You proved me wrong. People can surprise you. Maybe Rose will surprise you."

"I doubt it," he said. "But thank you."

"What bought this on?" asked Martha, concerned. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You're the only person I can talk to," he said. "The only person I can trust. Today made me realise…"

"Made you realise…."

"This won't sort itself out on it's own," said the Doctor. "You know the couple we met. Brannigan and Valerie?"

"The cat person and the person person," said Martha smiling slightly.

"Yeah," he said. "Them. They were married."

"Uh-huh," said Martha, her smile shrinking. He leant forward.

"I'm scared Martha," he whispered. "I'm gonna spend my whole life with this… with Rose and you're gonna be right there and I can't do anything about it."

"You can," she said. "There must be something you can do." A faint grin crossed his face.

"Are you plotting a way to get my wife out the way?" he asked coyly.

"No! Don't be ridiculous!" She flushed. She had fallen into that one- headfirst. "I just recognise your unhappiness and I don't want you to be unhappy." Her voice trailed off miserably at the end.

"I think it was seeing how Brannigan and Valerie acted around each other," he said.

**Hours earlier:**

"My names Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie." She smiled, embarrassed but none the less pleased at his words. The Doctor gulped, as he took in what the couple had, and what he did not. He looked across at Rose who had sat down and was surveying the car sulkily. They'd just had an argument, or snatches of an argument as they ran in pursuit of Martha. Something along the lines of 'she's not important, just another human' and Rose had lost.

"Pleased to meet you," said Valerie politely.

"And that's the rest of the family behind you." The Doctor looked behind a curtain to reveal a basket of kittens. He smiled.

"Aww, that's nice. Hello." Another thing he would never have with Rose. Kids. Not that he wanted something so special with somebody he didn't love. But anyway, Rose didn't want kids. She never wanted anything to change.

"Kids'll just mess up what we've got together," she'd said after one difficult conversation. "And nothing can make what we have change. I don't want that and neither do you."

He sighed.

**Present:**

Rose was standing by the door of Martha's room listening to her husband converse with her number one enemy. Martha Jones. She couldn't make out what they were saying, they were whispering. Her fists clenched. She was reaching out and stroking his arm comfortingly. Why was she doing that? Rose should be the one doing that!

She barged in and Martha snatched her arm away. The Doctor looked up.

"Hello," he said.

"What are you doing in here?" she breathed.

"Just making sure she was ok after her kidnap," said the Doctor. Rose narrowed her eyes as she remembered what had happened as Martha got further and further away…

**Hours earlier:**

The Doctor and Rose had dropped through rows and rows of the cars and were now on the bottom row, staring into the wisps of pollution.

"Nothing below us but the fast lane," said the man who the car belonged to.

"So we've lost her then," said Rose unemotionally. "Oh no. Never mind. We can go home now." The Doctor looked down at her pityingly.

"No. No we can't. And I do mind, Rose. Can we drive down?"

"No," he said tightly.

"There are three of us."

"No!" The Doctor sighed and crouched by the capsule. "You can't jump," he said. "It's a thousand feet."

"What's that noise?"

"Maybe it's monsters," said Rose. "Slowly ripping the cars apart." She watched as the Doctor winced and confirmed her suspicions. He did care about her. Shit.

"Well I guess it's too late," Rose touched his arm. "It will take a lot for us to get over this but I'm sure if we do this together we can get through this."

Then the capsule heaved open and somebody else joined the capsule.

**LATER:**

Martha ran on shaky legs into the courtroom. She saw a skeleton stretched across the ground and feared the worst.

"Doctor?" she whispered.

"Over here!" Rose watched as Martha ran over to him, and then skidded to a halt at the sight of the giant face lying on the floor. And the cat person. Speaking of whom:

"They say that if the face of Boe dies he reveals one last secret," whispered Novice Hame.

**PRESENT:**

Rose looked around the room tearfully as she remembered the face of Boe's final words. She burst into tears and stormed out.


	9. bury your dead

**Here it is- the chapter is which the face of Boe's final words are revealed, to the expense of Rose, as you'd probably already guessed. I'm sorry Rose. Wait, no that's a lie, I'm not really. As per usual, reviews are lovely, thanks for all of them so far! And on with the show!**

"Doctor," Martha chewed her lip anxiously as Rose slammed the door behind her. "What are you going to do?"

"Huh?"

"About Rose."

"Um… nothing?"

"What do you mean? You've got to do something."

"Why?" he asked. Martha folded her arms.

"You have to. It's not fair. You can't just run away from these things and avoid them. You've got to sort it out."

"Why does it concern you?" he asked. Martha looked up to detect any bitterness in his tone, but it was a genuine question. She sighed.

"You know what it doesn't," she said, getting up. "Cos you're taking me home now I got a bunch of stuff to do and I need to go into town like I said…"

"No don't go," he said, jumping to his feet as well. She stepped away from him.

"I promised you one trip," she said. "And I got two and it was… brilliant and fantastic but enough. It's too messy." He sighed.

"You're not going to change your mind, are you," he said.

"No."

"If Rose wasn't here, you'd stay, wouldn't you."

"I'm not even going to answer that," she said. "I'm going to get my stuff and then I'm going to go."

"Right," he said, ruffling his hair. "Right. Okay." He clapped his hands together and swung on his feet awkwardly. "Right."

"Thank you," she said. "For everything. Never in my life… thank you."

"No," he said. "Thank you. I'm going to miss you so-" His sentence was cut off as the TARDIS lurched into motion. Martha swore and grabbed his arm to steady herself, in doing so sending them both tumbling to the ground.

"Oh," she said. "Sorry."

"What the hell is going on?" he jumped up as the TARDIS lurched again, and went into flight.

"What did you do?" Martha demanded. "You so did that on purpose you insufferable-"

"It wasn't me! I swear… shit Rose." He ran into the console room. Martha picked herself up, calling everything in her sight every name she could imagine up until she reached the console room. Then she froze.

Rose was stumbling around the controls, pressing this and this, and lashing out at the TARDIS in a haphazard way. The Doctor seemed unsure of what to do.

"Rose!" he cried. "What the hell are you doing!"

"A surprise holiday," said Rose. "You and me. Me and you. A weekend of love and romance."

"What the… you don't know how to control the TARDIS!"

"Yes I do," she said. "Sort of. You talked me through it once."

"You stupid girl," he growled, manhandling her away from the control. She slapped him away.

"We're going to the city of love," she wailed. "Paris!"

"Stop it! You don't know what you're doing! This is… dangerous."

"Get of me!" she shrieked. Martha screamed as the TARDIS pitched violently and the doors flung open. Rose and Martha fell heavily to the floor as the Doctor wrestled with the controls. He grunted. The TARDIS spun round and both women tumbled towards the open doors. Martha hooked her fingers around the metal mesh floor in a desperate attempt to stay upright.

"Activate force field!" shouted the Doctor. Rose grabbed the centre column and pulled herself up. Martha felt herself slid downwards and towards the gaping doors. She screamed.

Then the doors slammed shut and she merely fell against them. She released her breath in a hiss and staggered to her feet.

"Rose! The engines are overheating," snarled the Doctor as he buzzed them with his sonic screwdriver.

"I didn't mean to…" The TARDIS began to plummet like a stone. Martha grabbed onto one of the beams, her heart pounding.

"Do something!" she cried.

"Trying to stabilise…" he grunted. "Nearly there." The TARDIS began to shake like a dog and all three occupants were flung to the ground. As usual the Doctor was up first, and pulled a lever. The TARDIS froze, suspended in mid air. Martha realised she was shaking slightly.

The Doctor turned on Rose.

"What the hell did you think you were doing!"

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "I didn't know it would do that!"

"You idiot… god I hate this!"

"Doctor? Darling, what do you mean?" He lashed out at the air angrily.

"It was all your fault!"

"Doctor," said Martha. There was a tense silence, broken only by Rose's sobs. "Doctor, you're bleeding." He put a hand to his head, and felt blood. He swore.

"This wouldn't have happened if not for-"

"Sit down," said Martha sharply. He obeyed, and then looked surprise. She walked over to examine him. "You're going to need stitches."

"Well that can wait." He was up again. "The TARDIS's engines have been overworked. She needs to rest. I'm landing her wherever we are and give her a few hours, we'll be fine and ready to go." He looked up at both women. "Are you both ok?"

"I'm fine," said Martha.

"I can't believe you're blaming me," spat Rose. The Doctor struggled with his tongue.

"I'm sorry," he spat out. "Happy? I apologised." He stood up and began stroking parts of the TARDIS.

"Sorry old girl," he whispered. The TARDIS began to gently descend until they were on firmer ground. Martha looked closer at his wound.

"Yup. Stitches I'm afraid."

"No, honestly Martha you don't have to. I heal faster than you lot it'll be almost gone in a few days."

"Sure?"

"He is sure," said Rose. "And please don't question my husbands judgement."

"Rose that is not helping." The Doctor strode over to the door and, with a final pat of the TARDIS; he pushed it open and stepped outside, leaving the two women alone together. They stood staring at each other for a few seconds, before Rose grabbed her jacket.

"Stitches I'm afraid," she mimicked in an inaccurate nasally voice. "Pathetic." She stormed out. Martha rolled her eyes.

"Childish," she muttered, and followed her out of the TARDIS. The Doctor was standing staring into the distance as Rose tried to examine his head.

"Where are we honey?" she asked.

"Smell the Atlantic breeze," he said unenthusiastically. "We're going to smelling it for a while seeing as we're stuck here." He turned to Martha. "Martha have you met my friend."

"Is that… oh my God that's the statue of Liberty!"

"Gateway to the New world," said the Doctor. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to… yearning to break free." He smiled at Martha and she recognised the remorse in his old, old eyes.

"This worked out well," said Martha. "I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the real New York, not the New, New, New, New, New one."

"Well here's the genuine article. Mind you, was called New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam. No wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."

"I wonder what year is it, cause look, the Empire State buildings not even finished yet."

"Work in progress. Still got a couple of floors and if I know my history that makes the date somewhere around-"

"November the 1st, 1930."

"You're getting good at this."

"You're getting good at this," muttered Rose so only Martha could hear. She made out she hadn't heard her, and handed the Doctor the paper.

"Eighty years ago. It's funny, you see all those old newsreels in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now." She laughed. "Come on then. If we're stuck here we might as well go somewhere."

"I think our detour just got longer." He passed her the newspaper, but Rose intercepted it.

"Hooverville mystery deepens," she read. "What's Hooverville?"

III

"I'm starvin', Solomon." Martha folded her arm as she watched an older black man snatch a loaf of bread and tear it into two pieces.

"No stealing. No fighting. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together. No matter how bad it gets, we still act like human beings. It's all we got." The Doctor took Martha's arm.

"Come on. And Rose." He led the way over to man who had been called Solomon. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here."

"And uh, who might you lot me?"

"He's my husband," said Rose.

"Good to know," said Solomon in his New York twang. "But that don't answer my earlier question, does it Miss. Who are you?"

"He's the Doctor and I'm Martha," said Martha. "And that's Rose."

"Hmm, a Doctor," said Solomon. "We've had lawyer, stock brokers… but no doctors. This place just gets fancier by the day."

"How many people live here?" asked Martha. Rose nudged herself closer to her husband as Solomon began to answer her question. Why was Martha always asking questions? Didn't she know anything? Rose never asked questions. She wasn't bothered about extending her knowledge that was for swots. So why did the Doctor always look at Martha like he was seeing her for the first time when she asked a question?

"So men going missing. Is that true?" asked the Doctor.

"True alright."

"But what does missing mean? Men must come and go from here all the time, nobody keeps a record."

"This is different," he grunted as he invited the three time traveller into a tent.

"In what way?" Martha asked quickly.

"Someone takes them. At night. We hear something, someone calls out for help and by the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air."

"And you're sure someone's taking them."

"Doctor, when you've got next to nothing you hold on to the little you got. Your knife, your blanket, take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire burning." Rose jolted.

"_You are not alone…" choked out the giant head. His eyes began to roll back into his skull. "No. There is one more thing. To Rose. Rose, listen carefully."_

_Rose shuffled forward as the face of Boe began to speak. "You're trying to hold onto him," he said. "But you can't hold onto everything forever. Everything has it's time. Sometimes you can outstay your welcome. I wasn't planning on saying this, Rose Tyler, but bury your dead. Put the past behind you. Because sometimes, the harder you hold onto something, the more it wants to escape. Escape to something else." His eyes travelled to the baffled Martha._

_"What are you saying?" Rose managed._

_"I think you know," said the giant head wisely. "Don't defy the inevitable. Because when you fight destiny-"_

_"I don't know what you mean," she said coolly. "Pretty standard for a last speech, if I'm honest with you."_

_"Rose, please!" sobbed Novice Hame. "His dying moments."_

_"Remember Doctor," wheezed the face. "You are not… alone." And his great eyes closed for the last time._

Rose was brought back to harsh reality from one of the many flashbacks she'd had of the Face of Boe's parting words by Martha- interfering, unwanted Martha.

"Have you been to the police?"

"Yeah, tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal," Solomon snorted.

"So the question is, who's taking them and what for?" said the Doctor. A young man poked his head around the tent flap.

"Solomon, Mr Diagros is here." Solomon got up and walked out the tent without an explanation. The Doctor raised his eyebrows and followed him. The residents of Hooverville were gathered in a huddle around a man who looked more out of place in the grim surrounding than Martha did in 1599.

"I need men," he began.

III

Martha looked distastefully at the grimy sewers. There were five of them, the Doctor, Rose, Solomon, Frank and herself. Only the Doctor looked excited to be here.

"Turn left. Go on about half a mile. Follow tunnel 273. Fall's right ahead of you."

"When do we get our dollar?" asked Frank.

"When you come back up."

"And if we don't come back up?" asked the Doctor, fixing the rich man with a cool stare.

"Then I got nobody to pay."

"We'll be back," said Solomon darkly. Martha shivered.

"Let's hope so." They began to walk down the tunnel, the Doctor and Solomon at the front, with Rose struggling to keep up, and Frank and Martha walking behind.

"We just gotta stick together. It's easy to get lost. Like a huge rabbit warren. Could hide an army down here."

"So what about you Frank? You're not from round these parts, are you?" asked Martha.

"Oh you could talk," the young man laughed. "No, I'm from Tennessee, born and bread."

"So how come you're here?"

"Uh, my Daddy died. Mama… couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest up to me to feed myself, so I put on a coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lotta runaways in the camp younger than me. From all over; Massouri, Oklahoma, Texas… Solomon keeps a lookout for us. So what about you? You're a long way from home."

"Yeah, just a hitcher too."

"You stick with me you'll be all right," he said. Martha smiled. They carried on chatting, flirting a tiny bit, until Martha heard a loud exclamation. She pushed her way forward and knelt on the ground.

"Is that radioactive or something." The Doctor crouched by it. "Well it's gone off whatever it is." The Doctor picked it up. "And you've got to pick it up!"

"Shine your torch through it," instructed the Doctor. Martha made to shine her torch upwards, but Rose snatched the torch and got there first. The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Martha," he said, earning a growl from Rose. "Medical opinion."

"Not human. I know that."

"I could have told you that," said Rose.

"No, it's not. And I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in and I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So why did Mr Diagoras send us down here?"

"So where are we now? What's above us?"

"Well…" said the Doctor. "We're right underneath Manhattan."

"We're way beyond a half mile," said Solomon. "There's no collapse, nothing."

"So Diagoras was lying," said Rose.

"Looks like it," said the Doctor through the corner of his mouth.

"So why did he want people to come down here?" Frank asked.

"Solomon, I think it's time you took these lot back, I'll be quicker on my own," said the Doctor.

"Doctor," said Rose, appalled. "W e can't be separated!"

"Huh?"

The heard squealing in the tunnel. "What the hell was that?"

"Hello!" cried Frank. Martha shushed him.

"What if it's one of the folk gone missing? You'd be scared, half-mad down here on your own."

"Do you think they're still alive?" asked the Doctor.

"We ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost."

"Never heard nobody make a sound like that," said Solomon. The Doctor strode ahead down the tunnel, as more squeals echoed around in the darkness.

"Sounds like there's more than one," said Frank.

"This way," said the Doctor.

"No this way," said Solomon. "Who are you!" he called out.

"Are you lost… called you understand me? I've been thinking about folk lost…" Martha gasped as she saw a blurry figure crouched in the corner.

"It's all right Frank. Just stay back. Let me have a look. He's got a point though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. We know the way out. Daylight. If you want to come with us-" He shone a light in the face of the stranger. "Oh, but what are you."

"Is that some kind of carnival mask?"

"No it's real." Martha's heart melted as he talked to the pig man. "I'm sorry. Now listen to me. I promise I can help. Now who did this to you?"

"Doctor, I think you'd better get back here," said Martha. He looked nervously behind him.

"Actually," he admitted. "Good point."

"They're following you," said Martha.

"Yeah, I noticed that, thanks," he said. All of them were backing off now. "Well, Martha. Frank. Solomon. Rose."

"Yeah," whispered Martha.

"Well basically- RUN!"


	10. You can kiss me later please?

**Ok, so it's here. Chapter ten. I'm really sorry this is the crappiest piece of writing I ever produced in my life but I can't come out with anything better right now. Life's been a bit of a struggle recently and fanfiction had to take a back seat to a few other, more pressing things. I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting, I feel really rude, especially given the quality of this chapter. I will try and make the next one better, I promise. I don't know I've just been finding everything more difficult due to a few personal things that landed on me at the same time. Aww shit. Just please review and thank you to the three lovely people who messaged me just to check I was ok. Thanks guys**

Martha watched in shock as the Doctor and Solomon scrabbled with Frank's hands as he was pulled down in the darkness of the cellar.

"Frank!"

"No!" Solomon saw a pig man climbing up the ladder and slammed the lid down hastily. "We can't go after him."

"We have to go back down! We can't leave him."

"No I can't loose anyone else. Those were creatures from hell, hell itself. If we go after them, they'll take us all. There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry." Martha jumped as she heard somebody speak in a harsh, female New Yorker's accent.

"All right then, put 'em up." Everyone put their hands up above their heads. "Hands in the air an no funny business! No tell me you shmucks, what've you done with Lazlo."

"Who's Lazlo?" Tallulah let out a breath that sounded more like a whimper.

"Lazlo's my boyfriend, or was my boyfriend. No letter, no goodbye no nothing. And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are pigs-" Martha winced at the reference- "but not my Lazlo. I mean what kind of guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses."

"It might, might just help if you put that down," said the Doctor, gesturing to the gun. The blonde women seemed to have forgotten she was holding it.

"Huh? Oh sure." She tossed it aside carelessly. "Oh come on. It's not real. Just a prop. It was either that or a spear."

"So what do you think happened to Lazlo?" asked Martha.

"How should I know? One minute he's there and the next- zip, he's vanished."

"Listen ah… what's your name?"

"Tallulah. Three L's and an H."

"Right. We can try to find Lazlo but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creature. Such creatures."

"Whaddya mean creatures?"

"Look. Listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is-" he removed the green knot from his pocket. "Because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

"Yech."

III

"Haven't you reported him missing?" Martha asked the showgirl as she sat in front of the mirror. The Doctor was scavenging for pieces of equipment and Rose was helping him. No, Rose was 'helping' him.

"Sure," she said. "He's just a stagehand. Who care's. The management certainly don't."

"Can't you kick up a fuss or something?"

"Okay, so then they fire me."

She imagined skinny, blonde scraps of women would be able to get anything they wanted from men, especially if they took to prancing around on a stage dressed as angels.

"But they'd listen to you. Your one of the stars."

"Oh honey. I got one stone in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle-which had nothing to do with me whatever anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."

"Ok, I get it."

"It's the depression baby. Your heart might break, but the show goes on 'cause if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep going. Hoping he's gonna come back…" she broke down. Martha hugged her gently. 

"I'm sorry." Tallulah pulled out the hug and wiped her eyes.

"Hey your lucky though. You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

"Uh… he's not, we're not… together," she stammered. 

"Sure you are," she said confused. "Your married him right?"

"What?" she spluttered. "We're not married!"

"Huh? He said you were married. Rose right?" Martha remembered the Doctor answering Tallulah's earlier question.

"Who are you?"

"The Doctor. I'm here with Solomon, Martha and Rose. My wife."

"No," she said. "My names Martha. Rose is… with the Doctor and Solomon."

"Oh. I'm sorry honey," said the blonde anxiously. "I didn't mean to… damn it I just assumed that you were his wife… sorry." Martha shrugged.

"It's ok," she said quietly. The show girl shrugged.

"Still, ya gotta live in hope. It's the only thing that keeps me going 'cause-" she lifted a slender white rose from her dressing table. "Look. On my dressing table every day still."

"You think it's Lazlo?"

"I don't know. If he's still around, why's he bein' all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?"

III

"Where is she? Where's Martha?" demanded the Doctor. Rose ran into the room behind him, panting.

"I don't know. She ran off stage."

"Doctor, what the hell are you-" but before she could finish her sentence he was off with a shrill scream.

"Martha!" He ran into the prop room, but it was empty. He noticed the drain cover pulled aside and cursed himself mentally. "They've taken her."

"Bloody hell, Doctor," wheezed Rose. "Tell me next time you're gonna run off on me." The Doctor wasn't listening.

"What the hell 'r ya doing? Crazy guy." Tallulah pulled on a coat and Rose gasped.

"Well if she's going I certainly am," said Rose.

"No no no no. No way. You're not coming."

"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed.

"Tell me what is going on?"

"There's nothing either of you can go. Go back."

"Look, whoever's taken Martha, they could have taken Lazlo, right?"

"Tallulah, you're not safe down here," said Doctor.

"My problem," she hissed, storming away. Rose climbed down the ladder as well.

"And mine," she said. "Not having you off with those two on your own am I?"

"Yeah, whatever Rose." He stormed onwards.

III

The Doctor lurked, alone in the shadows watching the daleks, his true enemy, line up a group of humans, including Martha Jones against the wall. His heart leapt when he saw Frank.

He'd sent both Tallulah and Rose back up to the surface, the former had been eager to go the latter, had not. It was only when he said he was protecting her and that the daleks would recognise her that she melted and gave him a kiss and said he was her hero that she left. He shuddered.

The people came stumbling past and he picked his moment well.

"Keep moving," he said, grabbing hold of Martha from behind. She sighed in relief.

"I am so glad to see you," she said. She was holding her hand to her chest, he noticed. He hoped it wasn't hurt. He rested his hands gently on the sides of her waist, making it look like it was for support but secretly enjoying the experience.

"Yeah well you can kiss me later," he said, making his tone jokey though it was, of course, anything but. She raised her eyebrows, and he hastened to cover it up. "You too Frank."


	11. Never waste time in a hug

**Ok, this one's a little better, methinks. Than the last chapter I mean. But I guess that's for you say so drop me a little review please- and thanks for the ones so far!**

Martha sat on a crate beside Tallulah who looked faintly disgusted at the scenes going on around her. They were back in Hooverville after the Doctor had somehow escaped from the 'dalek's' clutches with the help of an old fashioned radio. She shivered in the cold night air. She had a feeling that the Doctor and the daleks went back further than it seemed. But at the moment it didn't matter because whatever happened in the past happened and wouldn't change what would happen now. Which could potentially be all of their deaths.

Her head jerked up as the heard the frantic yells of a man accompanied with running feet on the soft ground. It was the sentry, just a normal bloke in ragged clothes running towards them wildly. "They're coming! They're coming!" Martha and Tallulah both jumped to their feet and Martha checked what the Doctor was doing. He was just standing there, unconscious of his wife clinging to his arm. "They're here! I've seen them! Monsters!"

"It's started," said the Doctor bitterly. He shook Rose off as the men gathered closer together around the centre of the camp and somebody started handing out guns and other weapons. Useless against the daleks.

"We're under attack!" Solomon shouted. "Everyone to arms!" Some of the residents began to make a break for it, ignoring Solomon's cries, and the pig slaves began to enter the camp, attacking the stragglers.

"We need to get out the park," said Martha.

"We can't," said the Doctor. "They're on all sides. They're driving people back towards us."

"We're trapped," wailed Tallulah.

"Then we stand together. Gather round. Everyone come to me. They can't take all of us!" Solomon shouted. He began firing furiously. Some, but not many of the pig slaves fell.

"If we could just hold them off until daylight," said Martha.

"Oh Martha," said the Doctor, looking up at the night sky. Martha followed his gaze. "They're just the foot soldiers." Martha winced as she saw a Dalek flying above them. So they could fly as well? Fabulous.

"God," she whispered.

"It's the devil. A devil in the sky. God save us it's a damnation-"

"Oh yeah," uttered Frank. "We'll see about that." He pulled back the trigger of his shotgun but the bullet bounced off the metal being. The Doctor pulled the rifle down.

"That's not gonna work," he said.

"We've faced these before," said Rose. "They're stronger than that." So Martha was right, they had met before. Both of them. She glanced up at the sky.

"There's more than one of them," she noticed. The two aliens began to attack, firing lasers onto the buildings, starting fires.

"The humans will surrender," bleated one.

"Leave them alone! They've done nothing to you!" shouted the Doctor. Martha closed her eyes for a second, trying to sort everything out in her head. She was scared, hell she was scared.

"We have located the Doctor!" announced the second Dalek. Martha gasped as Solomon stepped out of the tight knot of the scared humans.

"Solomon, no," said the Doctor. "Stay back."

"I'm told I'm addressing the Daleks is that correct?"

"Stupid man," whispered Rose. "They won't listen."

"Brave man," said Martha. "Whatever happens." Rose looked at her haughtily.

"Because you're very experienced in fighting Daleks," she said. "Of course." Martha rolled her eyes. And when the blue bolt of fatal energy jolted from the Dalek's weapon, while Martha gasped in horror, Rose simply looked at her and said "What did I tell you!"

"They just killed him," said Martha shakily. "They just killed him on the spot."

"Daleks." The Doctor spat the name as if it hurt him to say it. He pushed Rose aside and stepped out into the open.

"All right then, so it's my turn! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!"

"Doctor!" Rose screamed.

"I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy."

"Then do it! Do it! Just do it!"

"Extermin-" Rose screamed and flung herself at the Doctor, bringing him to the floor. He gasped, pain shooting through his rib cage. That would bruise. No shot came from the Dalek.

"Rose," he gasped. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Saving your life!" she said. He pushed her off.

"Leave it," he said, getting to his feet and shoving Rose back into the crowd.

"Rose Tyler," bleated the dalek. "You will die first."

"You've done enough," said the Doctor. "Don't kill anybody else tonight."

"Too late," said the Dalek. "The girl was foolish. She shall be punished for everything she has done to us. Exterminate." Martha shoved Rose aside and pulled down the two men nearest to her. Another shot fired and she heard the Doctor screaming her name as she rolled to the left, just dodging the thin blue ray of light. She gasped in pain as every inch of her bruised at the sudden impact to the ground.

"STOP!" shouted the Doctor. "STOP EVERYTHING!" In the mind of the Daleks, Dalek Sec spoke to them both.

"Yes. Stop."

"I do not understand. It is the Doctor."

"I want him alive."

"The urge to kill is too strong."

"I have decided the Doctor must live and you will obey me."

"I… obey."

"What's going on?" asked the Doctor. He looked across to see the smoking corpse of one of the men. His lip curled. "Rose that was your fault," he whispered under his breath. His eyes travelled to Martha who was shakily getting up. He hoped she was ok.

"You will follow," said one of the daleks. Martha gritted her teeth in pain and limped forward.

"You can't go!" she said. The Doctor's face creased in concern, but there was no time.

"I've got to go. The Dalek's just changed their minds. Daleks never change their minds."

"But what about us?"

"One condition!" He said. "I come with you and you spare the lives of everything here! Do you hear me!"

"The humans will be spared. Doctor… follow."

"Then I'm coming with you," said Martha.

"Martha stay here. Do what you do best. People are hurt. You can help them. Let me go." Martha sighed and looked after him. Rose got up her lip swollen from when Martha had pushed her out the way. It was mean but once she diagnosed it was only a small wound she almost… almost felt a glimmer of satisfaction that she had come out better in that little scuffle.

"Doctor," said Rose. "Doctor you can't go alone, don't take her, take me." The Doctor ignored her.

"Martha," he said. "And can I say thank you very much." He bounced forward and gave her a quick hug. With a wink and a grin he left, and Martha looked down at her hand and saw the physic paper clenched inside it.

III

"Of course he didn't hug you out of affection," said Rose pacing up and down like a caged animal. She hugged her jacket tighter around her. Martha ignored her, she was learning that trick from the Doctor she found.

"You'll be all right," she said to man she was treating. "It's just a cut. Try and keep it clean."

"Thanks," said the man and left.

"What do we do now?" asked Tallulah leaning against the wall.

"He didn't hug you because he wanted to," said Rose. "Not out of affection or friendship or anything. He wouldn't do that. Never."

"Really," said Martha dryly, thinking back to 'that night' in the elephant inn in 1599. He's done more that flipping well hug her there.

"Absolutely. The soul reason he hugged you was to give you the physic paper. The only reason. He had to give it to one of us and you were nearer. So it had to be you. There was no other option. Just like the genetic transfer. That was a last resort. I mean he wouldn't hug or kiss you or anything."

"Is this really important?" asked Martha.

"Yes," said Rose. "We just have to establish-"

"I get it," said Martha. "And are you sure you don't want me to look at your lip? It's swelling up!"

"That's because you caused me to face plant the ground. I didn't need protecting. I was fine."

"Yeah you looked it," said Martha.

"Stop it," cut in Tallulah. "We have to work out what to do. What's that thing he gave you Martha?"

"It's a physic paper," said Rose.

"Gets you into buildings and stuff," said Martha. "But where? He must want us to go somewhere but what am I supposed to do?"

III

The three women and Frank stood nervously in a service lift travelling up the empire state building.

"I've always wanted to come here," said Martha, just to break the silence. "Never imagined it quite like this though."

"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked her.

"To the top of the building where they're still building."

"How does that thing get you guys in? How does it work?"

"Physic paper," said Martha. "Shows 'em whatever I want them to think. According to this we're three engineers and an architect." The life slowed and stopped, and Martha pushed the doors open. Tallulah ran out first, looking at the view.

"Look at this place," she said. "Top of the world." Martha spotted a thick wad of sheets on a stand.

"Ok, this looks good," she said.

III

The three women crouched over the plans, now spread across the floor.

"I wish the Doctor was here," said Martha. "He'd know what we're looking for."

"So tell me," said Tallulah. "Where did you two first hook up?" Rose jerked.

"What did you say?" she asked, her voice heavy with shock. "They never 'hooked up'."

"No?"

"We met in a hospital," said Martha.

"Figures, him being a doctor."

"Actually I'm a doctor. Well, kind of."

"You're a physician?" Martha nodded, Rose shook her head.

"Not a real one," Rose said. "Not properly."

"I will be," said Martha. "I'm still training. But not for much longer, hopefully."

"The two doctors… what a partnership. If only he wasn't already…" she looked at Rose guiltily, as if she had forgotten she was there. "I mean a platonic, academic partnership, obviously. A business partnership. Not a... whatever partnership."

"Me and the Doctor are just friends," said Martha. "Obviously. And we won't be travelling together for too long, actually." Tallulah sighed.

"Yeah." Martha put a hand on the showgirl's arm.

"You're missing Lazlo," she said sympathetically. "Aren't you." Tallulah sighed again. Martha smiled tightly. "Look, if the Doctor's with Lazlo now, there's every chance we could get him out."

"Then what? Don't talk crazy. There's no future for him and me. Those Dalek things took him away. The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it." Martha's brow creased as Tallulah stood up and walked away.

They looked up as the whir of the lift sounded and the Doctor appeared.

"Doctor!"

"First floor, perfumery," he said, out of breath. Tallulah ran forward and for the first time Martha noticed Lazlo.

"I never thought I'd see you again," she gushed, and the couple met in the middle to hug.

"No stopping me," he said. Martha led the Doctor over the plans.

"We worked it out," she told him. "We know what they've done. There's dalekanium on the mast. And it's good to see you too, by the way."

"Oh come here." The Doctor went in for a hug, but instead of the tight embrace she was expecting, Martha felt a sharp elbow in the ribs. She gasped and when she looked up she saw Rose hugging the Doctor. He looked baffled but hugged her back, before turning to Martha. But before he could say anything, the sound of the lift turned his head.

"Never," he said sternly to Rose. "Waste time in a hug."


	12. Mother to daughter

**The plot thickens… please read and review… thanks!**

Martha was there again, sat in the room the TARDIS had provided for her, examining the books she had taken from the library with wonder. All these planets, these solar systems, these races of people not so different to her- not on the inside anyway- she'd never know about. She sighed, tracing the almost silky book cover with a finger. Why was everything always so complicated? It would be so easy, so simple and the right thing to do to just go home, now. But that would mean never seeing so much, and now she had been given a taste, she wanted the banquet. She wanted everything. Including… the Doctor.

She had only just begun to admit it to herself. She was falling in love with the alien. The man from Gallifrey with the tousled hair and the wild, dark eyes and the slender, but strong physique. Every time he brushed her arm briefly, tingles would erupt down her spine. Every time he stared at her, their eyes would meet and nothing was real.

But she hated it. She hated how the Doctor tried (and failed) to balance his affections between her and his wife. She hated how Rose would behave, making Martha hate her, then think of her Mum and Annalise, then feel as guilty as hell. She felt cheap, like she was playing the role of a home wrecker- a TARDIS wrecker… whatever. She was ready to go home.

Martha heaved herself to her feet and picked up a small bag containing the clothes she had worn for Leo's party. She thought back to the hospital, the running, the rhinos. The kissing. Her mind wandered to that night at the inn, his lips exploring hers, his hands igniting sparks of electricity all over her body- she was proud of herself for stopping him when she did otherwise she wouldn't have been able to prevent herself from going all the way with him…

"Good bye," she said aloud. The ship hummed softly in response and she smiled tightly. She stroked the doorframe softly and made her way towards the console room. But a sound halted her. It sounded like crying, but it was punctured with words. Words begging someone, an invisible someone.

"P-p-plea-ease… let me… go." Martha stopped and peered round the doorframe of a room. Rose was in there, lying on the ground, sobs shaking and convulsing her body. Her face was a ruddy, unattractive shade of red and her blonde hair was stuck in clumps to her face with swear and tears. Her knees were clutched to her chest and she wailed in genuine fear and grief. "M-master…" she choked. "Master my Master… I don't want to… to do this anymore. I w-want to go home…"

"Rose," whispered Martha, stepping forward into the room. Her heart went out the girl, despite everything. She was sick. Rose didn't hear her, rocking back and forth on the floor.

"No…" she moaned. "Please… let me go home."

"Rose," said Martha, louder this time. "Rose let me help you." Rose looked up, and a feral snarl twisted from her lips.

"Leave me alone you bitch!" she screamed, her voice rising in pitch and volume. She staggered to her feet, her face blotchy, and stumbled forward. Martha paced backwards.

"Rose," she said again. The blonde woman lurched forward and pushed Martha out the room.

"GET OUT!" she screamed. "GET OUT OF THIS ROOM! GET OUT OF MY LIFE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" And she slammed the door. Martha heard hiccoughs and sobs even through the heavy material of the door. She sighed brushing her hair out of her face, and went in search of the Doctor.

She found him in the console room, leaning against the console. He looked up at her arrival, and noted the small bag she held in her hand. "You off then?"

"Doctor," said Martha. "You're wife is sick." The Doctor sighed.

"What's she done now?" he asked warily. "Whatever it is, ignore it. She didn't slap you did she?"

"No I mean she's really sick," said Martha. "She's ill, sick. She need's treatment, proper treatment. She's a danger to herself."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed it," scoffed Martha. "Just now. I was walking from my room and I heard her crying. Proper crying, loud, and she was screaming, she was pleading with someone, except nobody was there, obviously. She kept saying stuff, as if she was begging to God or something." The Doctor let out a breath, rubbing his face.

"Uurgh," he managed. "So it was what, like a breakdown?"

"Exactly," said Martha. "I tried to comfort her but she wasn't having any of it. She's locked herself up somewhere. She could be a real harm to herself. And… and I could have caused it." She looked down, ashamed.

"What?"

"Me," she said. "I could have caused it. I knew she hated me-"

"Come on I'm sure she didn't hate you…"

"Do I really look that stupid Doctor?" asked Martha. "She hated me, and she hated me being here. This could have been the trigger, this could have pushed her off the edge."

"No. This has been building up for a long time. Ever since the battle of Canary Wharf I think… that was when I noticed… damn."

"What are we going to do?" asked Martha. "We have to help her."

"We?" said the Doctor. "I thought you were going home."

"Oh yeah," she said quickly, looking at her shoes. "I forgot. Yeah. I'm off. Now."

"Right," he said. But he made no move to pilot the TARDIS back to her flat. She sat down, dropping her bag.

"I'm going to miss this," she said. He smiled.

"Me too," he said. He sat down near her, and pulled her into a tender hug. His hands stayed firmly on her back without wandering up and down her body like they usually did, and she felt reassured by the platonic nature of their embrace. He pulled away and rested his hands on the console. "I was thinking," he said. "We could drop Rose of at her Mum's house so they can spend some time together for once before I take you home. Just so we can say goodbye properly." Martha searched his face to decide what he was implying, but he was a picture of genuine innocence. So she replied with the truth.

"That would be nice," she said. "Thanks for the thought." He smiled charmingly, flying the TARDIS much more calmly that usual. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"The Powell estate," said the Doctor. "Rose's parents live here."

"Right," she said. "Do you think I should…go."

"Where?"

"Just out of the lime light," said Martha. "They might not be to pleased if their son in law's travelling with another woman." The Doctor hesitated.

"There's a point there," he said. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. If you could just-"

"Figured." The TARDIS settled and the Doctor checked where they were.

"Here we are," he confirmed. "At their flat-"

"Rose! Doctor!" The doors of the time ship swung open and a blonde woman in her forties burst into the TARDIS. Martha took a step back. "Rose honey how are you-" Fear flickered across the woman's face.

"Hello Jackie," said the Doctor. Jackie shrank back.

"Where's Rose?" she asked. "And who's that?"

"Rose is just coming," lied the Doctor. "And this is Martha. She's travelled with us a few times."

"Just a few," Martha emphasised.

"Right," said Jackie. "Right if I could just find my daughter."

"What's going on?" Rose stepped through into the console room, cool and composed. Martha's eyebrows shot up, she couldn't believe this was the same woman who had been sobbing into her bedroom carpet mere minutes before. Rose smoothed down her hair self consciously, and then saw her mother.

"Rose!" Jackie went forward and hugged her daughter. Rose went stiff.

"You took me home," she said, her voice strained. Her lip quivered. "Why did you take me back?"

"Rose?" said Jackie quietly. "What's wrong?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Rose whimpered. Her eyes darted from the Doctor, to Martha, and then to her mother. "Is that what this is?"

"Rose," said Jackie. "Aren't you pleased to see me? And your Dad?" Rose brushed off her comment.

"Well, Doctor?"

"We just thought… I mean I just thought you might want to spend a day with your parents while I drop Martha back home," the Doctor said nervously. "That's okay, isn't it?" Rose shrugged out of her mother's embrace.

"What? You expect me to leave you alone with that!"

"Rose," said Jackie nervously. "Don't be rude."

"Shut up, Mum," she said fiercely.

"Rose!"

"Shut up!" Silence fell. Martha shuffled from one foot to the other nervously.

"Doctor," said Jackie. "Why don't you tell me what the hell you have done to my daughter."

"He hasn't done anything," said Martha.

"He hasn't done anything, Mum," echoed Rose. "She has."

"Rose, don't be ridiculous," said the Doctor. "Look, why don't you talk this over with your Mum while I pop out and drop Martha home. Deal?"

"Maybe that's the best idea," said Jackie. She grabbed hold of her daughter and led her out the TARDIS.

"Mum!" Rose trashed in Jackie's firm grip, looking back at the Doctor. "Doctor why are you letting her take me away?"

"I'm your mother," said Jackie, seeming close to tears. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Doctor!"

"I'll be back," he said. "I promise."

"Doctor, I don't want to go back," she said. "You don't understand…"

"Rose, stop showing me up," said Jackie.

"Showing you up?" Jackie looked back at the Doctor darkly.

"I'm talking to you later," she hissed, and slammed the TARDIS door behind her. Martha let out a breath.

"That was weird," she said. "Earlier on she was begging to go home and when it happens..."

"Something is very wrong here," said the Doctor, working the TARDIS controls. "So!" he said. "Back to your place then. As promised."

"Yeah," Martha said, trying to sound optimistic. "Probably for the best."

"Hmm. Not sure about that but if it's what you want."

"It is," she said forcefully. He looked up at her.

"Fine." They were silent as the TARDIS was piloted away from Jackie's flat and towards Martha's.

III

Rose stormed out of the kitchen where the TARDIS had materialised and into her living room, fuming. Jackie followed her nervously.

"The kettle's on do you want a cup of tea, love?" Rose answered with a tiny nod. Jackie sat down. "What's up, Rose?"

"It's hard," she said, her voice cracking. "Harder than I thought. Harder that he said it would be."

"Who?" asked Jackie. "The Doctor?"

"No," said Rose. "You know."

"Yes," said Jackie. "I know." She clasped her daughter's hands close to her. "Do you think you're trying too hard Rose?"

"Get off me," she growled, snatching her hands back. "He said that the Doctor loved me. He said it would be easy. He said if I didn't do what he said…" Tears trickled from her eyes. "I have to do this Mum," she said. "I can't let him get away. Or else… I'm dead." Jackie fiddled with her hair.

"Who's that woman?" she asked. "The one in the TARDIS. Martha." Rose scoffed.

"His new 'friend'," she said. "It's been awful. They've been all over each other. I was warned about this, Mum. He said I'd be replaced… I thought it was Donna. I thought that was who he meant. But now I guess it wasn't." Jackie pulled her into a hug.

"What are we going to do?" she asked. Rose's expression darkened.

"What I was told to do," she said. "Get that bitch Martha Jones out the way."

"Rose…"

"Permanently."


	13. Wine, fish and chips and eachother

**Fluff at the end! Finally! Lol… reviews would be lovely please **

Martha stepped out of the TARDIS and stared around the familiar flat she called home, her heart sinking. Everything was how she left it, everything. It was like none of it had ever happened. Her stomach tightened and for a second, she could have cried. Taking another step forward she pulled herself together and the Doctor emerged from the TARDIS.

"So," he said.

"So."

"Here we are. Back at the ranch, so to speak. As promised." Martha nodded.

"Yeah," she managed. She looked up at him and smiled. The gesture was utterly false. And she didn't fool him for a second. He smiled back, his own grin equally fake and shuffled on his feet.

"So this is it?"

"Yes," she said firmly. "It's got to be. You know that." He nodded, musingly.

"One trip I suppose," he said. "That was what it was supposed to be."

"Things just escalated," said Martha. Her stomach fluttered nervously. "I just wanted to say-" The ringing of her phone cut her off. She huffed in irritation. The phone only rang once before it flicked to her answer phone: "Hi I'm out leave a message." This time the Doctor grinned. This was so like Martha. Quick, straight to the point, no fuss.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Martha are you there? Pick it up, will you?"

"S'mum," said Martha. "It'll wait."

"All right, pretend you're out if you like. I was only calling to say you're sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested." Martha picked up the remote and flicked on her small telly. Her eyes scanned the screen and picked out Tish, in her serious work clothes sitting behind an older man who was delivering some kind of speech.

"How could Tish end up on the news?" Martha wondered aloud. They half listened a little to the man speaking. "She's got a new job. PR for some research lab." The Doctor was concentrating on Tish's face. You could tell she and Martha were related, they were both very pretty- but he decided Martha won it for him in the looks department. And then he was lost in a fantasy of Martha introducing him to her sister as 'her new boyfriend'. His hearts leapt at the idea.

"Sorry," said Martha, switching the telly off. The Doctor smiled.

"You were saying…"

"Just… thank you. For everything. It was… incredible. Truly."

"I wish it could have been different," he sighed remorsefully. He pulled her into one final hug that lingered a little longer than usual and for more than a second she wanted to hold onto him forever and ever. She held her breath to contain a whimper and reluctantly let her hands fall slack by her sides.

"Goodbye," she said. He nodded and leant forward to kiss her on the cheek. Then he went back into his Time ship and shut the door. Martha felt lost after it materialised. She choked back a sob, her heart pounding in her chest. Would she ever see him again? Then, before a tear could squeeze out from beneath her eyelash, she heard the heaving of the TARDIS reappearing. She wondered for a second if she was imagining it but then he stepped out of the blue box again.

"I'm sorry," he said, flashing her a smile. "Did he say he was going to change what it meant to be human?"

III

The Doctor leaned against the door of the TARDIS waiting for Martha to come out of her room. He wondered with a tingle of excitement what she was going to wear. He was decked out in his black tie already and not enjoying the uncomfortable experience. However he forgot his negative feelings when Martha shyly emerged from her room.

"You look fantastic," he enthused. She smiled, pleased.

"Thanks," she said. She took in his adorable freckles, wondering how she thought she could ever let him go. She let him take her arm and twirl her around, and she laughed. He watched as she busied around, turning off all the lights before she opened the door. "Let's go," she said. He hooked her arm around his and pressed her close to his body, not in a possessive way but in a supportive, loving one. She smiled and they walked out of the block out flats and got in her car.

III

Jackie's eyes widened at her daughter's pronouncement. "Rose," she said slowly. "You don't mean what I think you mean?"

"That depends what you think I mean," she said. "Anyway Mum, Martha's a whore. She doesn't matter." Jackie winced at the younger woman's brutal words.

"Just think about what you're saying for a second," she said, her voice wobbly. "Rose I'm scared. We're in too deep. We should just walk away while we still can."

"We can't," she said. "I can trust him."

"How do you know?" Jackie asked. "Rose you used to be devoted to the Doctor. This man's managed to turn you against him and a few months back, nobody could have done that."

"I'm not against him," said Rose. "I was told we were on the same side, and the Doctor might take a while to realise that. You know how oblivious he is sometimes. Anyway, he's like the Doctor isn't he. He's got two hearts; he's a Time Lord. He must be good. Of course I can trust him."

"But he told you to kill," said Jackie, her voice strained. "How could you trust a man who'd tell you to do that?"

"He didn't tell me to kill," said Rose. "He told me to get rid of. Any way I like. As long as it was forever."

"Rose," she said. "There have been people round the house. Working for him. They monitor everything I do. Look." She parted her fringe to reveal a dying bruise. "If we can trust him why would he hurt us?"

"He hasn't hurt me," said Rose without a flicker of sympathy. "Just you. So you must have done something wrong, mustn't you?" Jackie began to cry openly. Rose didn't move forward to comfort her, she stayed still. Stony.

"What's happened to you? You've changed?"

"He's taught me so much," said Rose warmly. "My Master."

"Rose, you're making yourself vulnerable," said Jackie. "How in their right mind would force you to call him the Master?"

"Shut up," snapped Rose. "He taught me everything I know, nearly. I know what I was doing with the Doctor was silly. Silly and pointless and childish and naïve. Now there is a purpose. And I will fulfil it."

"He's not teaching you," said Jackie. "He's manipulative!"

"He taught me to protect myself. Not to let out my emotions or else people will trample on them. And to keep everything I own close or else somebody will steal it. Like Martha Jones tried to do." Jackie raked a finger through her blonde hair.

"I don't understand," she said. "This is stupid. I want to get out. Now."

"It's too late," said Rose emphatically. "You helped him at the beginning. You got the Doctor to marry me."

"I didn't know what I was letting myself into," Jackie shouted, jumping to her feet in anger. "Shit, Rose, this is wrong. All of this is wrong!"

"What would you know about wrong!" screamed Rose. "If the Master hadn't stepped in, I would trapped in that parallel universe with Mickey! That's what he told me, and I believe him! And I'd rather work for him and have this than not and be separated form my one true love!"

"Rose, do you really still believe you and the Doctor are right," Jackie hissed. "Do you feel like you two fit?"

"Yes. I do." Jackie turned away.

"You're wrong," she said. "He's using you."

"Yes," said Rose. "He is. And I'm letting him. Because something good will come out of all this. He promised."

"What?"

"The rise of Gallifrey."

III

Martha opened the door to her flat and walked in tiredly. She sank into a chair and the Doctor flicked on the lights.

"Ok?" he asked. She nodded.

"I didn't want my family to have to see that," she said. "Any of that."

"I'm sure they can handle it," said the Doctor. "Don't worry about it."

"But we just rushed off again," said Martha. "God, I feel so… urgh. I led Tish to the cathedral right into Lazarus she could have been killed. And what if I'd died up there? What would she have done there? And Mum? She would have gone mad-"

"Sshh," said the Doctor. He was fiddling with something and she starched up to see what he was doing- lighting scented candles.

"I don't remember buying them," she said.

"Found them in my pocket," he said, not looking up. "They smell nice, don't they?" Martha inhaled.

"Yeah," she said.

"Jasmine. To relieve stress and relax. Perfect," he said, treating her with one of his grins. She kicked off her shoes and massaged her sore feet.

"Never had to run that fast in high heels before," she said. He shrugged off his jacket and loosed his bowtie with a finger, sitting in front of her.

"I have," he admitted. Martha spluttered.

"I don't even know if I want to hear about that one," she laughed. The Doctor grinned.

"Maybe we'll save it for later," he said. "Right now- you should tell me what happened in the cathedral when I was playing at being Beethoven." Martha sighed.

"Well there's not much to tell," she said. "It chased us up to the top and it was like a circle with a whole in the middle. We were on one side and he was on the other. He swiped at us knocked over part of the barrier. I was hit and I fell."

"You fell?" he asked. "Where?"

"I was holding onto the edge," she said. "I thought I was gonna die but you were playing the organ and I dunno Lazarus fell and he knocked me but just before I let go Tish grabbed me and pulled me back up."

"Rassilon," he muttered. "I'm sorry, Martha."

"That's ok," she said, curling her feet up beneath her. "I'm fine aren't I?"

"I bet your shoulders hurt through," he said. "With all that clinging to the edge."

"I suppose," she said.

"So… would you like me to rub them for you?" He grinned, holding up his arms. "Healing hands?"

"Yes thank you," she whispered. He moved behind her and began massaging her shoulders gently. His fingers were cool and supple, easing the pain so effortlessly. She sighed and leaned back against his grip. He continued to rub and treat her shoulders, slowly moving down her back.

"Is that nice?" he asked.

"Uh huh," she said. "Perfect."

"You know," he said as his hands worked magic behind her. "That was meant to be a celebration, that thing we just went to. But it didn't turn out too well and we didn't get a chance to have fun."

"No we didn't," she said.

"So why don't we have some now?" he said. "I've got some wine in the TARDIS- you humans like that right? - and you've got some music and you must be starving so we can summon some fish and chip from somewhere and most importantly we've got each other-"

"And you're getting cheesier and cheesier by the second," she replied.

"Cheeky," he said, tapping her shoulder. "What do you say?"

"Sounds like a good idea," she said. "As long as it's a chill out kind of celebration not a full on rave. I'm tired."

"Ok," he said. "Fish, chips, wine-"

"And each other," she finished, smiling.

"Right!" he said. "And we could watch a movie or something-"

"No," Martha said. "I'd rather just talk." The Doctor grinned.

"Then talk we shall!" He pressed a fleeting kiss onto her cheek and hurried into the TARDIS." Martha leaned back and prepared to relax.

III

Three hours and Lord knows how many bottles of wine later, the Doctor kissed Martha Jones.

It started off as a gentle joining of the lips, designed to make sparks of electricity tingle between them but, due to her drunkness, Martha reacted positively. She parted her lips and slipped her tongue into his mouth while his hands roamed her back. Her hands raked his hair and he pulled her on top of his lap, urgently kissing every inch of her face.

"Doctor," she murmured.

"Mmm," he said, distracted by how good her arse felt cupped in his hands.

"You're a good kisser."

"Yeah," he said. "So are you." He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, sucking on his tongue hungrily. He gasped. "Shall we take this to the bedroom?"

"Let's do that," said Martha. "Mine or the TARDIS?"

"Yours," he said. "Nearer." He carried her in and laid her on the bed, ready to completely and utterly _ravish_ her. And later, in the depths of her ecstacy, between screaming the Doctor's name, she shouted:

"I love you!"


	14. The drumming

Martha awoke with a pounding head. She moaned and opened her eyes a little. Through her eyelashes she saw the blurry shape of somebody lying next to her. Her eyes snapped open all the way.

"Doctor!" she cried. He turned and looked at her, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Good morning," he said. Martha blushed furiously and pulled the sheet up to her chin.

"Oh God did we… we did didn't we…"

"We were both very drunk if that's any consolation," said the Doctor. Martha furrowed her eyebrows.

"But I'm at home," she said. "When did we get here… oh Lazarus I remember now… this is embarrassing."

"Why?" asked the Doctor. "This is something I know I've wanted to do for a long time and I think you have to."

"Shut up," Martha protested. "I didn't want to sleep with you. I had too much to drink."

"It doesn't have to be…" the Doctor was struggling with his words. "What I mean is… Martha don't shoot me but I enjoyed last night."

"Doctor you totally took advantage of me!" Martha yelped. "You got me drunk on purpose."

"Martha, I was as drunk as you were," he said, his voice level and steady. "I didn't intend that to happen, Martha I promise. I would never do that to you. But it happened and it felt good and I'm happy to just accept that and move on. This won't happen again Martha, you're evidentially uncomfortable with it-"

"Of course I am," she scoffed. "You're _married_."

"What I was going to say," he said. "Was that we'll move on. If you like you can pretend it never happened."

"But it did happen! Oh god I am a slut aren't I?"

"Martha…"

"No, worse than that. I'm a home wrecker. Argh. I'm an Annalise."

"Martha…"

"Don't Martha me!" She buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe I just did that."

"Martha it wasn't your fault," he said. "It's ok. I won't mention it again. I promise." Martha sighed, resigned.

"Thanks," she muttered. He kissed her forehead gently.

"I'll leave you to get dressed then," he said. He was about to get up and then hesitated. Martha looked away.

"I'm not looking," she said. He got up and left her room quickly. Martha let her head fall back on her pillow and sighed out a breath of regret. And guilt. Regret because now nothing would ever be the same between them again. And guilt because… she had enjoyed it to.

Her thoughts we interrupted by the Doctor yelping and a female shriek. Martha gasped as her older sister stormed into her room.

"Martha Francine Jones," she said, a sly smile twisting her face. "You've done it again haven't you."

"Tish…"

"There is one very well endowed naked Doctor in your living room," she grinned. "And you have a hangover. Why do you have to get the man drunk before you sleep with him? Huh?"

"Can we talk about this later?" Martha begged. "What time is it?"

"Eleven in the morning," said Tish. "Mum's been calling and calling and she sent me over to 'check' on you."

"I'm not a child," said Martha angrily. "I can have sex if I want. It's really none of her business." Tish smirked.

"Yeah you can but apparently only when you're drunk," she said. "You're too caught up in your studies and all that boring shit to bother with having sex with somebody you actually like."

"I like the Doctor," she mumbled. Tish smiled.

"Oh," she said, grinning broadly and having fun by making her little sister cringe. "Now we're getting somewhere. Like as in… like. Or like as is_like?"_

"Tish, go away," she mumbled, burying her head in her pillow. "I've got a head ache."

"I'll go if you promise to call me within the next hour," she said quickly. "And you have to mean it. I want to hear every detail."

"Every detail?" asked Martha. "Really?"

"Ok, not every detail," said Tish, grimacing. "That would be disgusting. Science geek sex. Eugh. But do you promise?"

"Yes," said Martha. "Now get out of my flat." Tish patted her younger sister's hair sympathetically.

"Hope the hangover gets better," she said with a grin and left the room. Martha got up and slipped on her robe. She walked into the bathroom and into the shower, letting the warm water pour over her aches and pains. Half an hour later she was dressed and eating a banana in her kitchen.

"Hello," said the Doctor. Martha looked up.

"Hello yourself," she said. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"Mmm, yeah," he said. "What you got?"

"Whatever's in the cupboards," said Martha. The Doctor helped himself to some yogurt, cereal and, somewhat oddly, lettuce. He sat down in front of her chewing on the green salad.

"So what are you going to do?" he asked nervously. She looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you coming with me again or…or not?" he couldn't help his voice cracking at the end. Martha chewed her lip.

"I'm still staying," she said. "Nothing's changed." The Doctor nodded.

"I understand."

"It's not that I don't love travelling with you, because I do. It's just-"

"Rose," he said.

"Yeah." The Doctor surprised her by leaning across the table and pressing his lips against hers. She closed her eyes, reluctantly enjoying the brief sensation, but didn't put much effort into kissing him back.

"Listen," he said, his voice low and ragged. "I promise I will come back for you. I'm going to sort this out for good, I swear. I'm going to find out what's wrong with Rose and when she's ok, try and get a divorce."

"But you said-"

"There could be a way, if she is genuinely as up to getting one as me."

"That's never going to happen," said Martha.

"I'm not giving up," said the Doctor forcefully. "Never. I'm not losing you." Martha felt something wet trickle down her face. Then she realised it was a tear. He took her hand. "I'm coming back." He planted a little kiss on her knuckle and got up and walked towards the TARDIS. Martha followed him.

"Wait," she said, her hands falling slack by her sides. He turned. "I don't want you to go."

"Martha?"

"I want to help you," she said. "Sort out what happened with Rose, make sure it's ok. I want to stay with you. And properly this time. Not as a one last trip kind of thing. A proper travelling companion."

"Are you sure?" he seemed wary.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But that's my problem now, isn't it?"

" The Doctor beamed and leaned forward to kiss her. She took a step back.

"Right," he said, clenching his fist. "No?"

"No," she said. He smiled charmingly and pulled her into a hug instead.

"Is this ok?"

"This is fine," she said, relaxing into his embrace. "Thank you for taking me back."

"Don't thank me," he said as they parted from the hug. "Do you want to get some clothes and stuff?" Martha nodded. 

"Give me fifteen minutes."

"Gladly." The Doctor all but danced into the TARDIS and relaxed into the chair by the console, happier than he'd ever been.

III

Jackie sat in her room on her own. She was scared. Scared out her mind. This wasn't supposed to happen. She'd just been helping out the charming Mr Saxon, doing her duty. He seemed so nice back then… so long ago. Before she knew him as the Master.

She remembered the day she'd first met him. When he came and sat on the bench next to her and just began to chat. So innocently.

"You remind me of someone," he said. "You don't happen to know a woman called… Rose do you?"

"Rose is my daughter," Jackie had replied. "Why, do you know her?"

"I do," he said. "Sort of. We only met yesterday." Yesterday. That seemed odd to Jackie, even at the time. Yesterday had been the battle of canary wharf, and Jackie didn't think Rose would be out making new friends on a day like that.

"That's nice," she said.

"Do you know who I am?" he'd asked. She looked at his face properly for the first time, and her jaw fell slack.

"Hang on… you're Harry Saxon." He'd smiled modesty at her. "How d'you meet my Rose then?"

"Through a mutual friend," he said. "A certain Doctor? Perhaps you know him?"

"Yeah," said Jackie, now wary. He laughed.

"You're not sure whether to trust me, are you?"

"I-"

"It's ok," he said. "I was with the Doctor very recently indeed. Well I say recently, I really mean millions of years away…" his voice trailed off. Jackie shifted uncomfortably. "I've been talking to Rose," he said.

"What about?"

"The Doctor," he said. "Do you know what he is?" Jackie shrugged.

"Kind of. Why?"

"Kind of? Let me fill you in…"

And it had just happened. Suddenly, after less than half an hour of him talking and Jackie listening, she trusted him more than she thought imaginable.

"So you're saying," she said, struggling with the bombardment of information. "That you're one of… his kind?"

"Yeah," he'd said. "If you believe me." And Jackie did believe him.

"So what do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Help me out a little," he grinned.

"I don't know if I like the idea of…"

"It's for the Doctor's own good," said Harry, or Mr Saxon, or the Master. "That he doesn't know about me. His mind, his emotions are so fragile. I want to ease him into this new situation. And me and Rose are planning a surprise for him to get him used to what's going to come."

"And what's that then?" Jackie asked.

"All in good time," he smirked. "As long as you don't tell him about my presence here on earth. I mean… here in London. Do you promise me that, Mrs Tyler?"

"Jackie," she'd corrected him. "And yes."

"In that case I need you to persuade him to do something. Something I'm sure he wants to do anyway… marry your daughter."

Jackie could kick herself for how easily she'd been manipulated back then. But the Doctor had been there and she felt so much affection for him now that she couldn't help but do as this mysterious man had told her to. And it had worked. The Master had promised Jackie her daughter would be happy with his dear friend, the Doctor. And they were so happy, for about a week.

Jackie started as Rose walked almost silently into the room.

"I thought you went to bed love," Jackie said. Rose shrugged.

"I couldn't sleep," she said.

"Does he speak to you?" Jackie blurted out. "In your dreams." Tears welled up in Rose's eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she murmured and ran out the room…

_One hour earlier_

It happened whenever she slept. Burning in the corner of her mind, seeking access. The rhythm. Again and again. Da da da da. Da da da da. Da da da da. Louder and louder almost as if it was getting nearer. And then, when it was so loud she was this close to waking up, his voice. Her Master.

At first it used to calm her, hearing his slow, reassuring tones sooth her throbbing head. Whispering things. Thanking her again and again for what she was doing. Telling her what to do next. And as she got more and more comfortable with him, his face would bleed into the picture, his lips forming the words.

But always, she could hear the drumming.

But tonight it was different. It started the same, the drumming, followed by him saying her name, and then his face. But it was contorted in anger now.

"Rose Tyler," he said. "You let him go! You let him run away!"

_No! He's just dropping Martha off! He's coming back for me!_

"No no no no no!" And the drumming, so loud it made her head scream in agony and when she awoke she was screaming too…

"My Master," she whispered into her hand. "My Master please forgive me…" And she sobbed in deprivation for half an hour when he didn't reply.


	15. Helping Rose

Martha sat nervously on the chair by the console. The Doctor crossed over to her and smiled. "Why are so tense?" She shrugged.

"I don't know." That was a lie. She was tense because of the prospect of Rose returning to the TARDIS and discovering that she was still around… She pushed those feelings from her mind.

"I've got something to give you," he said. Martha tilted her head. He held out something. A key. She stood up, her mouth opening in awe.

"Is this what I think it is?" He smiled and dropped the chain into her waiting hands.

"Frequent flyers privilege." An incredulous grin split Martha's features, and she was about to thank the man who had changed her life before the console began to flash red.

"Distress signal! Locking on!" he exclaimed. Martha stepped back in alarm as a sudden jolt sent both of them hurtling to the ground.

"I thought we were going to get Rose…" her voice trailed off when she realised the Doctor was already off. She sighed and found her feet, hearing his distant shout.

"Well this is hot!"

III

Just over 42 minutes later, the Doctor stood inside his TARDIS staring blankly at the camera's showing the scene outside. Martha, his beautiful Martha, kissing some bloke she'd met less than an hour ago. His stomach churned. He felt sick at the sight of her soft lips pressed against another man's. The lips that were made to touch his. Her beautiful dark orbs were closed. Just the way they had been when he'd kissed her on the moon. Was that all he was to her? If she kissed him in the same way she kissed this near stranger did that mean he was worthless to her?

Martha stepped back from the kiss and smiled warmly at the man she had nearly died with. Riley smiled back, longingly. Staring at the woman he's grown to believe in, in under an hour. Martha Jones was certainly something special. She treated him to another, final smile, her eyes sparkling.

"Well done," she praised him. "Very hot." And she disappeared into the blue box. The Doctor did not turn around on her arrival. She hesitated.

"Doctor?" she asked. "How are you doing?" He made a small sound, that sounded a little like a snarl. Her heart fluttered with fear. What if that… thing was coming back again? "Doctor." Burning with repressed anger, the Doctor slammed a hand down on the console, and Martha jumped.

"Martha," he snapped. "Just… just go… somewhere. Library. Something like that. Away." Martha didn't move, alarmed. He clenched his fist, buried the rage deep inside himself. "I'm sorry," he said in a quieter tone. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Doctor, what is it?" she asked. Her voice was like cool, soothing water on a burn. He turned round, looking at her properly for the first time, his face somehow disappointed.

"It's nothing," he said. "I really didn't mean to shout. I'm just so..."

"Is some of that thing still inside you?" she asked fearfully. He shook his head.

"Don't worry about that," he said. "It's over." She walked forward and tentatively touched his arm. He looked her in the face. Her face was a picture of concern. She was concerned… about him. That felt kind of… good.

"What's wrong then?" she asked. He sighed and pulled her into a hug.

"I can't believe I almost lost you," he said. He felt her stiffen in his arms.

"I was so scared," she whispered. "But I believed in you. And it was ok." He patted her hair gently and smiled down at the incredible woman in his arms. "You're lying though," she said. He frowned.

"Huh?"

"That's not what's bothering you."

"Martha…" he whined.

"Why won't you talk to me," she asked. "After you opened up to me on New Earth I thought we'd be able to talk properly. What are you keeping from me?"

"Nothing," he said, his face a mask. Martha twisted out of the hug, angrily.

"Doctor!"

"Look it doesn't matter."

"Well it obviously does if it makes you snap at me!"

"Martha I just… saw you kissing Riley. Just now."

"Oh?" Martha raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes," he said with quiet honestly. Martha looked down.

"Why?"

"I think you know."

"Humour me."

"I have… feelings for you," he muttered. "And I deluded myself into thinking that you felt the same way about me. And I know we're not in a position to deal with these feelings right now but when all this is sorted and we are I hoped that we'd be able to have something together. And it makes me sad to think I might be wrong." There was a heavy silence.

"Thank you." It was Martha who broke the quiet.

"What for?"

"Being honest with me. I appreciate it." The Doctor nodded.

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Yes please," she said. "I'm starving." She followed him to the kitchen.

"How hungry are you?" he asked.

"A sandwich kind of hungry," she replied, perching on a chair. He nodded and began slicing bed with careful precision.

"I've been thinking," he said. "We need to find out the trigger point of Rose's dramatic change in behaviour. Then we can work forwards from there and try to help her get over it."

"All right then," said Martha.

"We need to lay out the information we have," he said. "And figure out what's going on. I don't like it. I've got a bad feeling it's more serious than we first thought." Martha suppressed a shiver.

"So what have we got?" He sat down in front of her, giving her the sandwich he had prepared. She thanked him.

"You saw her panic attack or whatever it was," he said. "I need you to tell me in detail about what happened." Martha thought for a second.

"Please, let me go," she said. "That was what she kept saying. 'let me go home. It was like she was talking to somebody. She used a name or a title or…"

"What name?" asked the Doctor.

"She said… my master. But that could be anything. Anyone that she perceives as her leader, her master. Doctor?"

"Hmm?" His face had frozen. She licked her lips.

"You know something."

"I knew somebody called the Master. He was a Time Lord. Like me."

"But he'd dead," said Martha. "You said you were the only one left?"

"I am," he frowned. "Interesting she should use that word though."

"Master," Martha said thoughtfully. She noted it down on a pad of paper in front of her. The Doctor looked over her shoulder and saw she had titled the page 'helping Rose.' "So you know Rose better than me. What changes have you noticed?"

"She's possessive," he said. "Obsessive. Emotional. Childish. She's always been these things, now I think back, but for some reason I've only just noticed. Or she's acting more extremely that before." Martha made a list in her neat handwriting and nodded. The Doctor grinned.

"Are you always this organised?"

"Me?" She looked down at her structured, methodical jottings. She smiled uncertainly. "I suppose so."

"So we've got what you've heard and what I've noticed," he said.

"The next step is when you noticed these changes," said Martha, titling a new page with the word 'origin of condition.' The Doctor leaned back and sighed, his brown eyes wide, as if he was remembering.

"Canary Wharf."

"_We did it Doctor," said Rose. Her breathing came in gasps. "They're gone! We did it!" He laughed in exhilaration. _

"_Trapped in the void!" he shouted the proclamation gleefully. He let out another laugh, and swept Rose into a hug. Rose twisted out of the hug and crushed her lips against his. His eyes widened and he gasped against her mouth. He stepped back. Her eyes were fevered and wide, her pupils almost dilated._

_"Doctor," she breathed. He fumbled with his words. _

_"Gah…"_

_"You don't have to say anything," she said. "There aren't any words to describe what we've been through together. What I feel for you. And what I know you feel for me. And what we have to come together. The whole universe." She snaked her arms around his neck._

"_Rose are you ok?"_

"_I've never been better in my life," she gushed. "I've been… enlightened. To what we could have."_

"_By what?"_

"_It doesn't matter," she said. "I just have. And you're going to marry me!"_

_"Rose," said the Doctor uncertainly. "Slow down." Her breathing became more frantic._

_"Doctor," she cried. "You won't… say no will you? He said… I mean…"_

"_Rose it's been a long day," he said slowly. "A long, traumatic day. We need rest." Rose collapsed into sobs. _

_"Doctor," she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. She hiccoughed. "You wouldn't…"_

_"What the hell is going on!" Jackie Tyler stormed in, followed by her bewildered husband._

_"Jack-"_

_"Why did you make my daughter cry?" She slapped him hard. "Doctor!"_

"_I'm sorry," he said. "I need to-" And he fled._

"But you married her," said Martha, her voice cold. "You didn't run off."

"I don't know what happened," he said. "They… persuaded me, for lack of a better word." Martha raised her eyebrows in disbelief, but moved on.

"So it was after everything was over… when was the last time she was acting normally."

"I don't know," he said. "We can only assume something happened that day." Martha wrote down something and folded up the notebook, storing it in her jacket.

"Right then," she said. "Let's go and get her." He nodded.

"I suppose."

III

Harry Saxon sat in his office watching his wife leave the room. He smiled cruelly. How fragile was the human mind was. Both Lucy Saxon and Rose Tyler were proof of that.

He closed his eyes and pictured her face. He felt her cry out as he slipped into the fabric of her mind.

"_Rose. My beautiful, human Rose."_

He smiled to himself as he felt her relax at the sound of his voice. He spoke aloud.

"Can you hear it? The drumming?"

"Loud and clear."

"Wonderful isn't it?" He swirled around in his chair. "Where are you?"

"At my mother's house." Rose sounded more that a little annoyed at this fact.

"No Doctor?" he asked.

"I'm sorry…"

"It was like I said, wasn't it my pretty Rose? He left you. He left my gorgeous, incredible Rose Tyler. The Doctor never talks to you like that does he? He never protects you like I can? He never says the things I do. Does he?"

"No," she breathed.

"Then why do you love him?"

"I just love him," she said. The Master smirked.

"Does he love you?"

"Yes. He is devoted to me. He always has been and always will be."

"Then why did he leave you? Why did he abandon you for Martha Jones?"

"He didn't," she said uncertainly. "He wouldn't. He's taken her home. He'll be back and it'll be him and me again. Rose and the Doctor."

"And me," he said. "Always me. In your mind…"

"My Master…"

"Do you love him?" The Master interrupted. "Do you really?"

"My Master, I am devoted to you, I promise."

"But Rose," he crooned. "You didn't answer my question."

"I love the Doctor," she whispered. "He's my everything. I can't help that. But I worship you, my Master."

"You will love the Doctor forever?"

"Yes." The Master couldn't see her, and Rose couldn't see him, but the Master knew she had lowered her head in shame. He smiled.

"Good." He pulled out the word slowly.

"Good? I thought you'd be angry? I thought…"

"Why would I be angry, Rose? I have my Lucy, and you have your Doctor. And when we are brought together the stars will quake at the power we possess." Rose shuddered. "But it promise you, Rose Tyler," he said. "When the Doctor steps out of the TARDIS doors to take you back, he will not be alone."

"I don't believe you," she said. He frowned in displeasure. She was fighting back… that was unusual. Lucy never had. Then she backtracked. "I'm sorry," she stumbled. "What do you want me to do?"

"What I told you," he said. "No more, no less. Just get rid of her. Anyway you please. It is up to you."

"I'm scared," she confessed. "I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do."

"It is. It will be the way it always would have been. You and the Doctor. Lucy and me. And the universe at our disposal. No Martha Jones getting in the way. Do you trust me?"

"I do," she said.

"Good," he said. He muttered a goodbye to her and severed the connection, leaning back in his chair. Telepathic communication with Rose always left him drained of energy. Her mind was so complex…

"Oh Lucy!" he called. His wife re-entered the room, her face pale and drawn. He smiled at her. "Be an angel and rub my back for me." She stood behind his chair and obediently began to oblige his orders. "Are you going to ask me how our friend is?"

"How is he?" Lucy asked.

"He's left her," he said. 

"Forever?"

"I don't know," he said, relaxing back into the chair. "When I met them for the first time it was just him and Martha Jones. So this could be the end for Rose Tyler which is a shame, to say the least."

"Why's that darling?" Lucy massaged the back of his neck and the Master leant back into her hands, grinning.

"I had a lot more in mind for her."


	16. The Mineral Lakes of Cuhlhun

**Haha speedy update! I think things may be straightening themselves in my real life (touch wood) so updates may hit you more often! I predict one or two chapters until family of blood…**

Rose sat on her bed, rubbing her temples. Telepathic contact was getting harder. Her Master promised her it was safe and she trusted him. She remembered their first time and smiled. How wonderful it was to feel his warmth presence exploring every inch of her mind. How, just before it had happened, while the Doctor lay unconscious, slumped outside the TARDIS, how his cool hands had caressed hers and how he spoke so soothingly.

"You can trust me," he had said, tracing her pale cheeks with his thumb. It was the same day she had met him, the same day of all those events at Canary Wharf. She had told the Doctor what the Master instructed her to and the result was not what he had said. "You know that don't you."

"You saved my life," she said. "If you hadn't cast that force field I would have…"

"Don't contemplate it," he said. "You're safe now."

"Thanks to you," Rose said. "But I don't understand what you did to the Doctor. And why?"

"I didn't want him interrupting," said the Master. "Us Time Lords have always been… connected. And in his state of vulnerability it was all too easy to send him to sleep… he's fine. Mild headache, maybe. But it gave us precious time together, Rose Tyler. I predict great things from you."

"Wait," said Rose. "Are you chatting me up?" When the Master smiled at her, she raised an eyebrow. "But you've got a girlfriend."

"Lucy," he sighed. "Poor little Lucy Cole. She's somehow… not what I thought she was. You're different. You never confirmed what I said, Rose. Do you? Do you trust me?"

"So much," she said. He twirled a strand of her blonde hair round his finger and leant forward to kiss him. She gasped as something exploded in her mind, a hot, yellow light. A beat, a steady beat echoed through her thought. Da da da da. Da da da da. "Drumming," she whispered. And then it was over. She opened her eyes in wonder. "Oh my… did you…"

"That was me," he said, touching her face affectionately. But his lips didn't move…

"Oh my God! You said than in my head!"

"I did indeed! Whenever we want to talk Rose, think of the drumming. Think of the drumming and we can communicate. Wherever or whenever you are. However far away. Doesn't matter."

"Wow," Rose whispered. She gingerly leant forward and pressed her lips to his in a sweet innocent brushing of the mouths. He smiled at her, pulling her onto his lap.

"Now Rose," he said. "There's a little favour you can do for me."

Things just…escalated, Rose supposed. She'd never seen him again, not in the flesh. But in her mind, that was another matter. She had been told such horrible things. Stories of the Doctor finding someone else, someone who was perfect for him. Somebody would replace little old Rose Tyler, from the Powell estate. They'd leave her, abandon her. And her order: delay this from happening as much as possible. Cling onto them, and report what was happening to her Master. He said they would marry, Rose and the Doctor that was, that way they were inseparable. But now her orders had changed. Her Master didn't want Martha Jones around any longer, and Rose was the only one who could get rid of her.

She was so scared that she had failed her Master. She had lost Martha Jones before she could eliminate the med student and now she could have lost her chance to please her Master. Visions of them drifted into her mind. Lucy and the Master. Rose and the Doctor. The four Masters. Of earth. Of the universe. Of everything. Their faces imprinted across history, immortal. Everything would be perfect.

"Master," she whispered, a smile stretched across her lips. She remembered the turning point. She was still unsure, until the Master had walked her to the TARDIS, stepping carefully over the other time lord's prone form and the two of them went on their first trip together to stare at time. The raw power of time and space, the fabric of reality.

His lips nuzzled against the skin of her neck and she leant into him.

"Why have you taken me here?" Rose asked.

"I sensed your doubt," he had said. And like that, Rose Tyler belonged to the Master. And now she had let him down.

So you couldn't imagine her relief when the reassuring blue box materialised in her room and the Doctor stepped out of the door.

III

The Doctor looked his wife up and down. She looked awful. Her hair uncombed, her make-up smudged, her clothing crumpled. She smiled, her eyes lighting up.

"Oh thank God, Doctor!" She ran to him, hugged him. "You came back!"

"Course I did," he said. "Rose, there's something I have to tell you."

"Ok. Inside."

"Wait," he said. "Don't you want to say goodbye to your parents?"

"No," she laughed, entering the TARDIS. She froze when she realised who was there. "Doctor," she spat. "Why is she still here?"

"Ah, yes," he said. "That's what I was going to say." Rose knew she looked angry, but on the inside, she was relieved. Not only had she managed to keep hold of the Doctor, but Martha was still there to be got rid of. Rose took in the older woman's youthful features, and pictured her face cold, grey and dead. "You know what," she said. "It's ok. I understand that you two are just friends. And I'm fine with it. I'm glad you're still here Martha, because I'd like to apologise for my behaviour. I was just jealous. I'm sorry." Martha gasped.

"I…" Rose smiled, and danced out the room. Martha turned to the Doctor, shocked.

"Oh my God!"

III

"So! Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Cuhlhun! You two up for it!"

"Definitely," said Rose. Martha nodded too, silently.

"Brilliant! Allonsy!" He began to pilot the TARDIS and Rose took another look at her prey. Martha Jones. A plan was already forming in her mind. Once the TARDIS settled down, she smiled excitedly. She was such a good actress…

"So why here?" she asked. "What makes this place so special?"

"The planet is made completely of ice. The sky is dyed purple with a dim sun so that the reflections of the light don't bounce of the snow and damage your eyesight. The planet strives on the tourist industry, but I've taken you to a secluded little spot, over the frozen lakes of Sley. Hardly a soul there. So if you two go to the wardrobe you can pick skates in your size." Rose made to leave and Martha stared long and hard at the woman's back before following her.

"What shoe size are you?" asked Rose. Martha answered her question, her arms folded.

"What's with you?" she asked. Rose turned.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you being so…"

"Nice? I don't know. I just thought… life's too short for hatred." Martha didn't see Rose slide a long knife into her bag.

III

All of Martha's puzzlement disappeared when she saw the beautiful slopes of ice before her. She laughed as the Doctor stumbled forward on his skates, wind-milling his arms frantically. She skated after him, albeit a tad cautiously and clutched his arm. He laughed and spun her around on her skates.

"Feel that cold," he said. "Feels beautiful!"

"Agreed," she said. She leant in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I don't understand. Why is Rose behaving like this?"

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe I shouldn't have let her out of my sight."

"New lead," said Martha. "Go and talk to Jackie about her. She could have noticed something while we were away, she might be worried."

"That's an idea," he said. His voice rose into normal tone once more. "Rose you coming?" They turned to look at the blonde woman who was skating towards them, in a desperate attempt to catch up. She burrowed between them and hooked at arm through each of theirs, laughing.

"Isn't this perfect," she grinned. The Doctor and Martha shared a look.

"Are you feeling all right, Rose?" the Doctor asked.

"Better than all right," she said, kissing him quickly. "How are you?" They skated for a couple of hours, but Martha stopped first. She sat on the edge of the lake, huddled in her coat, growing cold. She watched the tall frame of the Doctor glide effortlessly across the ice. Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up- it was Rose.

"Hey," she said. "I was wondering if you wanted a hot chocolate to warm up. I just made some."

"Yes please," Martha said. Rose handed her a steaming mug and Martha sipped it tentatively.

"Well go on," said Rose. "It's not poisoned."

"It's hot though," Martha said. Rose sat beside her.

"How can the Doctor still be skating? It's freezing" Rose asked idly.

"We went somewhere," Martha replied. "By accident. Somewhere hot." Rose recoiled inside.

"So you too went on a trip together?" Rose asked, trying to keep the jealousy from creeping into her voice.

"Inadvertently," she muttered. Rose smiled as the Doctor began to skate to the edge and change into his proper shoes.

"I've got something to show you," she said. "Something beautiful. I found it."

"Ok," shrugged Martha, following the blonde girl. Rose led her to a mound of surprisingly sturdy snow and told her to looked over the horizon.

"Just there," she said. Martha narrowed her eyes.

"Where?" Rose gripped the handle of the knife, ready to stab her from behind, and looked at Martha. But all of a sudden… she couldn't do it. She let out a strangled cry and dropped the knife, kicking it out of sight.

"I'm sorry," she said. Martha spun round.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!"

"Rose are you ok?"

"Just stay here," she said beginning to walk away. But Martha followed her.

"Rose!"

"Please!" Her mind span, and her tongue formed the words that came into her head. "I'm getting the Doctor. There's something I want to tell you both."

"I'm not sure…"

"I want to tell you here," she said. She turned her big cute eyes on Martha. "Please." Martha sighed and tutted (how British) her arms folded.

"Whatever," she said. "Just be quick." Rose beamed at her and ran off. She rounded the corner and near on bumped into her husband.

"You seen Martha?" he asked.

"Yeah. She's gone into the TARDIS. She's cold, she's having a warm bath," she lied. The Doctor looked at her.

"Really?"

"Yeah. She was freezing." He nodded.

"Are you off then!" Rose beamed.

"Yeah. If that's ok." The Doctor opened the TARDIS and with one more look around got in and shut the doors behind him. Seconds later, the TARDIS was gone.

Martha ran out into the snow staring at the spot where, until moments before the TARDIS had stood. Her mouth dropped open. Had they just left her? Abandoned her? Or had the TARDIS done something funny and left all three of them there? She spun around.

"Doctor!" she called. "Doctor! Rose!" When she had run around the perimeter, and was convinced she was alone, she slid to the ground in a daze of shock.

In the TARDIS, the Doctor was rubbing his temples.

"What's up?" asked Rose.

"The TARDIS is trying to tell me something," he said. "She's practically screaming it. But something blocking her. Some seriously out of place telepathic energy. And it's all around you."

"Me?" Rose flushed. "I don't know why that would be."

"Rose what aren't you not telling me?" the Doctor asked. Then his eyes widened. "Shit!"

"What is it!"

"The message came through!" He looked at Rose like he hated her. "Rose, Martha is still on that planet."

"What?" Rose tried to look suitably surprised. "She said she was going in for a bath though!" The Doctor didn't meet her gaze, working the controls frantically.

"We're going back for her!"

"Of course we are we can't just leave her stranded can we?" The TARDIS settled and the Doctor ran out.

"I better have got the timing right. Martha! Martha! Martha Jones where are you!" More than half an hour later than when the Doctor had left, Martha Jones heard someone shouting her name. She stood up and ran out from behind the pile of snow she had been sheltering from.

"Doctor!"

"Martha!" He turned to meet her eyes. Her beautiful eyes, clouded with anger.

"Doctor," she snarled. "You have thirty seconds to explain why you ditched me here!"

"Uh well…" he stuttered.

"What?"

"You know what it doesn't matter," she said. "I need a hot bath."

"I told you," said Rose. "That's what Martha went to do she must have wandered off again." Martha treated Rose to a withering stare.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She flounced inside, leaving the Doctor flabbergasted. Rose raised her eyebrows.

"We came back for her. Some people are never pleased, are they?"

III

Over the next three months that passed, Martha Jones remained with the married couple in the TARDIS. They went to amazing places and met amazing people. The notebook titled 'helping Rose' was filled as Martha wrote an entry every day, describing Rose's condition, which waxed and waned. Some days she was all over the Doctor and ignoring Martha, some days she would hurl abuse at the pair of them, and some days she would return to her simpering self. Martha could always sense what sort of day it was going to the second Rose opened her mouth to address her.

But things were not well. Both of them had noticed it. That whenever Martha went of on her own, she seemed to avoid death by millimetres. She narrowly missed being shot by a tanegashima musket fired by a 17th century Japanese soldier Rose had been getting friendly with. She had been pushed from a cliff, only surviving because of a giant force field stretching across the coastline which none of them had been aware of. And there was the first time, she time she had almost been left behind…

They always suspected something, but none of them could have predicted the extent of Rose's intent. She intended Martha to be dead and had overcome any earlier reluctance to get her hands dirty. So far she had not succeeded and remained and her cruel objective had continued to be unknown. Both those things changed a little later, on the battlefield of Ansfäebb.


	17. The Protector

"Where are we then?" asked Martha. The Doctor hesitated before the doors, his eyes sparkling.

"Well if I've done this right… oh if I've got this right then you are going to love this one Martha Jones!" With a dramatic flick of his wrists he opened the doors… to be greeted by an empty passageway. His face fell.

"Did you get it right?" Martha teased him. He tried to keep a straight face but all his defences collapsed and he smiled.

"Don't worry I'll have another go if you like," he said, but Martha shook her head.

"We're here aren't we," she said. "Might as well have a look. It's still a different planet." Her eyes gleamed at the concept.

"There's an idea," he said. "Rose? Coming?" Rose stood up.

"Course. Why wouldn't I be?" The Doctor nodded.

"Right then." They walked out the TARDIS. Martha looked around. They were in a corridor, the walls made of thick cut, sand coloured slabs of bricks. The trio came to a crude, wooden pair of doors. Wind was blowing from the crack underneath the door indicating that it led outside. The Doctor grinned at them wildly and opened the doors…

Only to be thrown from his feet by a huge explosion. Martha gasped, dropping to the floor beside him.

"Doctor! Are you ok?"

"Shut the doors," he shouted. Martha slammed the heavy doors shut but they couldn't block the sounds of shouts, guns and explosion. She returned to the Doctor's side to see Rose practically smothering him. She refrained from rolling her eyes.

"Are you ok?" she asked again. The Doctor got to his feet.

"Fine," he said. He surveyed the doors warily. "Something massive is going on out there!"

"But what?"

"That's for us to find out!"

"I am not going out there!" Martha said.

"I wouldn't let you," he assured her. Rose didn't listen to the two of them

prattle away; a plan was forming in her mind. This was what she was waiting for, her chance. Her opportunity. Her heart fluttered with excitement in her chest. She crossed over to the window by the door and observed what was going on outside with the cold detachment that she had somehow become the norm in the past month or so. There was smoke, and fire a dust. She could actually see bullets peppering the sky, figures falling. She could hear the screams, the shouts, and the detonation. The scene before her was seething with death violence, and bloodshed. A smile spread across her face.

She faked a panicked tone, her brown eyes opening in fear.

"Doctor!" she gasped. "Oh God Doctor there are people dying out there!" He looked out the window too and his eyebrows burrowed.

"This is wrong," he said. Martha gasped as she heard footsteps approaching.

"Doctor!" He rushed to her side, standing slightly in front of her protectively. She peered over his shoulder to see a figure approaching. A broad shouldered, thick cut humanoid with a shaded mask and a heavy space gun at his hip. The gun was slowly raised and pointed at them.

"Who are you?"

"We don't mean any harm," shouted the Doctor, raising a hand. "We didn't mean to come here!" Still the figure advanced.

"Who are you!"

"I'm the Doctor!" he said. "I can help, if you'll let me!"

"Drop your fire arm!" The Doctor shook his head frantically.

"We don't carry guns." The man… or whatever he was, stopped still.

"Don't lie to me."

"We're not." The Doctor gave him a level stare. "I promise."

"But who doesn't carry one now?" Martha scrutinized the man's face.

"Who are you?" she asked. Raising a gloved hand, the man peeled the mask off his face. Martha tried not to react as the saw his ancient eyes staring mournfully at her, his white withered skin practically peeling from his bone structure.

"I am the protector," he said, a crystal tear sliding from his eye. Martha frowned.

"But what does that mean?"

"I'm the only one left," he said, his old voice trembling. "I'm the only one who can remember. I'm the only one who can remember life before this war. I'm the only one who resisted." There was silence as the Doctor, Martha, and even Rose watched the protector struggle for words.

"What war?" asked the Doctor quietly? "Tell us what happened?"

"What do you mean?" snapped the 'protector'. "Everyone knows, where have you been?"

"Tell us." The Protector sighed.

"Over a hundred years ago," he said. "I was young. I was in charge, I lived in the castle. Then there was a revolt. I watched my family burn. Literally burn. A rebel group destroyed everyone who supported me. I was the only one left. And there was another rebel group around too. Two rival gangs who engaged in a war. And now there is literally nobody who is not in one of the two gangs. They're all dead. Apart from me. Both gangs want me dead, both gangs want it for different reasons. But the castle protected me. Before she locked her doors I told the nation that I would always be here for those who wanted to give up. For those who had realised how pointless this war was. But the war between the two gangs became more important that the death of me. I've been forgotten. I've been alone for over a hundred years."

"I'm sorry," said Martha. And she meant it.

"It's get worse," he said. "I'm not going to be here for much longer. This house dies soon. This house is old. It's life is coming to an end. And I need to run."

"Where?" asked the Doctor.

"There is a third group. A small group with less than thirty members. They are my supporters. They are outside now. Ready to escort me. They say they have some kind of shield, something that makes us… not invisible…"

"Some kind of perception filter," he muttered. He glanced towards the door. "Are you going to let them in?" The protector closed his eyes and with a blinding flash of light three men appeared into the room.

"Are you ready?"

III

Less than an hour later, they were walking. Tripping. Stumbling. Across the battlefield. There were people all around them. Screaming people. Shouting people. The killing and the dying. The living and the dead. And there was nothing Martha could do to help. Every time she tried to stop, the people, the nameless people with the technology to cast an invisible force field around them hurried her along.

She lurched and nearly fell, but the Doctor grabbed her arm and steadied her.

"Doctor," she gasped. "I hate this. I want to go."

"I'm sorry," he said. "We had to come." It was true. The people who had come to move the Protector had forced them to come too. They didn't trust them. The Doctor wrapped an arm around her and she leaned into his embrace. "Nearly there."

Ahead of them, Rose was speaking quietly to one of the three people. "She's dangerous," she muttered. "She's plotting to kill the Protector. I'm not and the Doctor's not but she is. She has to die. And now. We can't let her in. Do you understand?"

"Completely," muttered the man. "We'll get everyone here and shut it before she can get in. The protective shield will disappear with us and we'll leave her. If she's not carrying a weapon, she'll be dead within seconds." A smile twisted Rose's face.

"I would never fail you my Master," she breathed.

And five minutes later, they were there.

There was a circular trap door that looked more like a drain cover than anything else. The Protector was bustled down by one of the men. The second turned to Rose, hurrying her down the steps. The Doctor too was bundled down followed by the third of the men. Martha hurried forward, anxious to get out of the battle zone, but the man paused, grinning at her toothily.

"Not you," he said. "Rose has been telling me all about you." Panic rose in her chest and she dropped to her knees.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Let me in!"

"No!" The trap door slammed shut. Martha screamed in fear, trying to prise in open with her fingers. She looked fearfully around her, exposed to the dangers of the battlefield. "Let me in let me in let me in!" she shouted.

Below her, the Doctor's eyes widened in horror. "No no no!" he shouted, pushing past. "My friend's still up there!"

"She's no friend of ours," said one of the men. "She's a traitor!"

"What! I don't know what you think but it's wrong! She could be in serious danger up there- let her in!"

"We can't!" The Doctor thrust his face close to his.

"Yes. We. Can."

Martha gasped as she felt an icy pain in her stomach. Her eyes slid out of focus and she staggered backwards, metallic blood soaking through her clothes. Then she thudded to the ground.

"Help me," she whispered, feeling her heart flutter in her chest. For the final time? "Doctor…" In the fuzzy blur off her view she saw something stirring before her and visions of the Doctor blurred before her eyes before she lost consciousness.

III

The Doctor shoved the others aside and slammed open the lid. "MARTHA!" he shouted. He scanned the scenes around him but he couldn't see her for all the debris scattered around him. "MARTHA!" Rose popped her head out the hole, screaming at her husband.

"Doctor! You have to get in here! It's dangerous!"

"Which is why I need to find Martha," he grunted. Rose stamped her foot in frustration.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this!" she shouted.

"Rose! Shut up! Or help me find her!"

"At least use the shield," she begged. The man used a device on his wrist to cast a shield around both of them.

"Miss Rose! I would get down! We have heard of plans to activate a field full of mines in this area in the next few minutes I'm not sure if the shields are able to cope with that." Panic fluttering across her mind, Rose shouted at the Doctor.

"Hurry up you prick!"

"Rose! Shut up!" he shouted. "If it wasn't for you we'd be safe in there- all of us. Now help me find Martha and we can get to safety. Got it?" The ground was covered it chunks of rotting metal and he threw a few apart in an attempt to find her. "Come one where are you?"

"Doctor," said Rose quietly.

"What!" he demanded. "Have you found her?"

"Master I did it," she whispered. The Doctor didn't hear what she said.

"Rose! Have. You. Found. Her."

"Yes," she said.

The Doctor swore.

"Let me past. Let me see her," he said, shoving Rose aside.

Martha was there. Splayed on the floor, covered in muck and blood. As he touched her, she stirred.

"Doctor," she muttered. Rose looked puzzled. She was sure that Martha was dead. But maybe she was, maybe she was just dying slowly. The Doctor attempted to smile at her reassuringly.

"That's right," he said soothingly. "I'm here. Tell me what happened."

"I don't know," she rasped. "A bullet…" And she slipped into unconsciousness. The Doctor examined her quickly and professionally.

"Shot to the stomach," he said. "She won't die. Not if I've got anything to do with it. Left untreated the hydrochloric acids inside the walls of her stomach will seep out. She'll be poisoned from the inside… but that won't happen." He picked her up tenderly. "I'm going back to the TARDIS with her."

"You? But what about me?" Rose cried shrilly.

"This is gone on for too long," spat the Doctor. "You're staying here. For now, at least. I'm not blind Rose. I thought you were up to something and this proves it. I'm not letting you anywhere near Martha." He threw her down the trap door again, and slammed the lid shut. Martha stirred again, but didn't wake. Maybe it was best. The Doctor broke into a run, back to the castle. Back to the TARDIS.

III

Hearing came first. Martha could hear somebody talking to her. The Doctor, his cool voice easing her into consciousness again. She felt hot, and then cold again. Her skin prickled with grime and she shuddered.

"Doctor…" she moaned. She felt a pressure on her hand.

"I'm right here," he muttered. "Come on. There we go." The tried to open her eyes, squinting at his face. It was streaked with oil.

"Are you ok?" she asked. He laughed humorously.

"Don't be daft," he said. "Course I am." Martha tried to sit up, but gasped in pain. The Doctor gently pushed her back into the pillow. "Don't try to get up."

"What happened?" asked Martha, feeling a little teary.

"You were caught by a bullet," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Am I…"

"You'll be fine," he promised. "I fixed you."

"Thank you," she said.

"Don't mention it." He pulled her into a hug, which she gratefully accepted. Martha sniffed back tears, pressing her cheek against his chest, feeling comforted by his rock hard presence.

"I don't understand," she said into his suit.

"What do you mean?"

"The trapdoor closed," she said. "I don't understand why." The Doctor stroked her hair gently.

"Rose," he said. "I'm sorry Martha, but this has been going on for too long. Whenever something happens to you, Rose seems to be in the wrong place at the right time. You can't deny it."

"No," she sighed. "But I didn't think she would even consider letting anyone out there on their own. Unprotected. I could have been killed."

"I think that was the idea," he said. Martha nodded.

"I should write this down."

"No! You should rest. I'll bring you something to eat and we can talk about it, ok?"

"Ok," said Martha. After pecking her on the cheek, the Doctor left the room. Martha sat up, wincing at the pain in her belly and pulled up the hem of the top she realised the Doctor must have changed her into. There was some neat, surgical stitching on her stomach, and she touched it lightly, cringing in pain. But she knew she had been lucky. It could have been so much worse.

Martha caught sight of herself in a mirror on her bedroom wall. Her face was bruised and there was one cut just below her eye, but that was the extent of her injuries. She muttered thanks to whatever divine force had prevented any further injuries. On second thoughts, it was probably the Doctor.

She lay back down on the bed.

When the Doctor returned he was holding a tray with a bowl of tomato soup on it. Martha looked up eagerly, realising she was starving.

"How long have I been unconscious?" she asked.

"Twelve hours," he said. "Part of that was due to the anaesthetic I gave you." She nodded slowly, shuffling back in the bed and spooning the hot soup into her mouth.

"What are we going to do?" she asked. "About Rose?" He sighed.

"I have no idea."


	18. Realisation

"No!" shouted Rose. "No!"

"We need to get the protector into safety," said one of the men. Rose screamed in frustration and attempted to force her way out onto the battlefield to follow the Doctor. Another one of the men lay a strong grip on her arm.

"You can't go out there Miss."

"Don't you dare tell me what to fucking do!" she shouted. His grip tightened on her arm and she trashed. "Let go of me!"

"You've got to come this way Miss," he demanded. She uttered a high scream and something pierced through her head- and collapsed.

When she awoke she was lying on a bed with silk sheets that felt like butter to her touch. She choked out a sob, curling her knees to her chest. Why had he left her? So, Martha was dead. She wasn't his wife was she? Her head throbbed painfully- and on second thoughts the crying was not making it any better. She sniffled pathetically, bringing her hands to her head. Where was she?

"The place doesn't matter." Rose jumped.

"Master?" She closed her eyes and all of a sudden she was standing before him in the houses of parliament.

"Rose," he said, welcoming her into his open arms. She hugged him tightly; she could almost feel the crispness of his suit pressed against her chest. Even in her head, he felt so real. So solid. "So much more real than our absentee Doctor," he remarked.

"He left me," she whimpered. "I don't understand why. She's dead."

"Are you sure, Rose?" he asked. "Are you really sure?"

"She had a bullet in her," she said. "She was on her way out when he carried her away. And for all I know she could have been hit by another bullet or blown up for all I care."

"Martha Jones lives," he said. "You didn't succeed in changing history. I would know if you had."

"I'm so sorry," she wept. "I've failed you haven't I?"

"Only a little bit," he promised. He captured her blonde hair in his delicate fingers, twirling it round her knuckle. "But this is your last chance."

"How do you mean?" she asked.

"The Doctor knows now," he said. "He must do. He must know your aims. I've sent some aliens after the TARDIS, they will be commanded to attack on your arrival, although they will not harm you."

"What aliens?" asked Rose.

"Just a family," he said, shrugging. "Nothing you need to worry yourself with. His attention will be diverted from you and then is when I want you to strike."

"How?" she asked.

"Anyway. Just make it permanent. A blow to the heart."

"Ok," she said. "I won't let you down this time."

"When the bitch dies, the Doctor will be angry," he remarked. "And that is when the family will take you away. You understand? They will follow you everywhere, so long as they can detect the Doctor's time lord telepathic energy, so there is no giving up. They won't let us down, Rose."

"And then it will be perfect," she breathed. He smiled.

"Just like I promised. Now I must say goodbye. I have things to attend to."

"What things?"

"Lucy," he said with a trace of disgust. He kissed her once, and faded from her mind's eye.

III

Martha's eyes snapped open suddenly- she was unaware she'd even fallen asleep. She gritted her teeth together in pain as she felt her stomach flip and before she knew it she'd thrown up over the carpet. She groaned softly. The Doctor hurried in.

"Are you ok?" he asked, concern spiking his voice. She nodded, more than a little queasy. 

"Sorry," she gasped. He grabbed a glass of water and helped her take measured sips from it. It helped. He rubbed circles into her back and she smiled her thanks. "I feel better now," she said, after a minute or two. He smiled.

"I need to check your stitches," he said. "We need to go the medical bay."

"That's fine," she said. "I feel like I need to be up and about."

"If you say so," he said. He pushed a wheelchair to the side of her bed, to which she moaned a protest against. He ignored her.

"Do you fancy walking?" he asked. She hesitated.

"I could manage," she said, sounding unsure. Then she gave in. "Ok, fine. Wheelchair it is then." He lowered her into it and slowly urged the chair forward and next-door, where the med bay was situated. She lay on the examination table and he made a great to do easing cushions under her head so she was comfy.

"Doctor," she asked as he fussed around her.

"Yes."

"Why does Rose want me dead?" He froze.

"Martha I'm sure that she doesn't-"

"Don't take the mickey she as good as shot me herself," Martha said, shuddering. "But I don't understand why."

"Me neither," he said. He picked up a needle. "There are some advanced painkillers in here. They're safe for humans, of course. Is that ok?"

"Yes," she said, a flicker of a smile crossing her face. "I trust you." He gently injected the substance into her forearm.

"There's something weird going on," he said, sitting on the bed. She sat up, happy to discover it took less effort than it had earlier in the day.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been noticing strange… things. There seems to be telepathic energy focused around Rose. Abnormal telepathic energy. Time Lord energy."

"But that could be you. Couldn't it?"

"No. It's not me. I know… or I think I know… I don't want to know."

"We've got to know," said Martha softly.

"I know," he said. "There's something I haven't told you. Something important." Martha didn't say anything, just looked up at him with her big, dark eyes. She waited with baited breath, her gaze fixed on his pale face, which was contorted in pain and what she detected as shame. "There was a man," he said. "We were friends. Back when the Time Lords were…" He shuddered to a halt, biting his lip. Martha took his hand in both of hers and nodded.

"I'm listening."

"We were best friends. People used to say we were like brothers. But he was bad news. Really bad news. It took me a long time to realise that but in the end I did." He let out a strangled cry. "We grew up together though, went to school together and everything. But his aims in life were always different. We both wanted the universe, so to speak. I wanted it to travel in freely with no boundaries, nothing to stop me from doing this. He wanted to rule it."

"But isn't he dead like all of them… no wait." Her face froze. "My Master," she said. "That's who you mean isn't it. You said you knew him."

"That's who I mean. That's whose telepathic energy I sensed around Rose that time. That's whose name she called out in her… panic attack. It all fits, but at the same time, it doesn't."

"How do you think he's involved?" Martha asked.

"I think," he said. "That Rose and the Master are making telepathic contact somehow. I think that everything, and I mean everything that's been going on leads back to him. He could have persuaded her to trust him he always had this… charm."

"So he tried to make Rose… kill me. But why?"

"I can't say for sure," he said, leaning into her slightly, minimizing the space between them. "But time isn't linear. It's hard to explain. He could know you from his past and your future and he knows how brilliant you are-" Martha blushed at his compliment. "And want to eliminate you before you can kick his ass."

"But that's changing time," she said. "That's like, illegal. People start to fade and stuff."

"He is a Time Lord. He has some extent of control. He could find a way with moderate effort."

"And if Rose is in contact with this Master bloke, she's his what… assassin?"

"Basically, yeah. She could mean other things as well."

"But why did she have to marry you? You said it was out of the blue, it was unnatural. You think that was the Master?"

"I can only assume so. For why… to latch her onto me? I don't know. But the funny thing is, right, I can't actually remember accepted her proposal. All I can remember is her asking me, and us getting married the following day. It was very rushed."

"You don't think you were… hypnotised."

"No, I could have repelled that, easily," he said casually. "No, it was something else… Yes!" He jumped up, nearly knocking Martha aside.

"What the hell!" The Doctor tapped his hand against the medical trolley in a rhythm. One two three four. Da da da da. "What's that," she asked. "It seems familiar."

"Hypnosis," he breathed. "But subtler."

"What do we do?" asked Martha.

"We get Rose. We… we lock her up." The Doctor's eyes went misty. "I can't believe it's come to this. I hate her Martha. I actually hate her. I can barely remember the Rose I first met, two years ago Martha, she was just nineteen. Just a child! Look what I turned her into."

"Shut up," said Martha, close to tears. "Please, don't say that." She touched his face, turned it to face her. "Look at me. It's not your fault. It's the Master's. He warped her, he changed her. It's ok, Doctor. It's not you." He nodded, thumbing a way a tear that had escaped from her eye.

"We lock her up," he said. "We get her to tell us everything. The truth. I can scare her into telling me."

"You won't hurt her?"

"Course not," he said. "Are the painkillers working?"

"Yeah," she said. "Thank you."

"No problem." He kissed both her eyelids, her cheeks and her nose. He drew the line at her lips, tempting as they were.

"It's ok," she said. "Don't stop." His eyes snapped open.

"Do you mean-"

"Please Doctor." He leant forward and captured her lips in his. Electricity sparkled between them as he probed her mouth with his tongue. She allowed his access, leaning forward into his embrace. His hands massaged her scalp, his fingers combing through her hair.

"You're beautiful," he said. His hand travelled down her body and rested on her waist. She uttered a cry of pain as his finger jabbed at her wound. He pulled away. "Oh shit I'm so sorry! Are you all right! Martha, talk to me!"

"Mmm," she said, her heart fluttering. "I'm fine."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry about…"

"Doctor I asked you to kiss me," she said. "Because now I know that the marriage is totally false. All this time I was thinking about Rose and how upset she'd be and how I'd ruin her life like a common little… but now I know, don't I. I know what she did. And I don't see any reason why I should protect her."

"We need to get her," he said. "I'm not letting her anywhere near you."

"Doctor-"

"It's not worth the risk. You're going back to your room. I'll make you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"Martha," he said. "I love you."

"Doctor," she said. "I love you too." He kissed her face one more time and lifted her into the wheelchair.

"Next stop," he said. "The battlefields of Ansfäebb."

**Next stop- the family of blood! Thanks for reading!**


	19. Lofton tower

**Firstly, sorry for taking so long. Had to force this chapter out. Ok, this is the start of the real A/U. I didn't think that, after Martha had declared her love to him that he would dump her in the thick of it in 1913 as a servant and instead be more aware of her feelings. Therefore, I put it a century forward but carried over the same characters. Thanks for all the reviews so far.**

Once the Doctor had helped Martha back into her room, he deliberately left the door open so she could hear him moving around outside as he controlled the TARDIS through the vortex. It was for his benefit as much as hers though- it reassured him to hear her steady breathing and sense her small movements, despite the fact that he was fairly sure her injury had no chance of complicating itself now he'd sorted her out. He'd been so scared…

"Martha," he called. "I used the tracking device to find Rose. I'm going to pick her up, and I'm going to shut the door so she doesn't see you. Ok? I won't be a minute."

"Where are you going to put her?" she asked.

"In her old room. The TARDIS will make sure she doesn't get out."

"Ok," said Martha. The door of her room swung shut and she settled down in her bed, probing at gently at her wound, and idly considering calling her mother to have another 'I nearly died but I'm not about to tell you' chat.

The Doctor stepped outside to find himself in some kind of bedroom. It was very dark, the lights turned off, the curtains closed, so he couldn't see if he was alone or not. "Rose," he called out into the darkness. He heard a muffled cry and a light snapped on. Rose was lying, fetal, on the bed, her hair a mess, her make up smudged horribly around her eyes.

"Doctor!" she gasped. She lurched forward towards him and he stepped smartly back. "I knew you were coming. Part of me thought you were leaving me but underneath I knew that you and me could never be kept apart for long and I was right."

"TARDIS," he said, his lips barely moving. "Now." She stalled, and shrugged, before leading the way into the time ship.

"Where's Martha?" she asked.

"How do you know she's still alive?" he asked. Rose flushed.

"I-"

"Did he tell you?" Rose turned away.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm tired, I'm going for a shower and then I'm going to find Martha."

"No!" The Doctor placed himself in front of Rose blocking her path. "You're coming with me."

"Where?"

"To your room. Call it your cell."

"What!" Rose's voice was high and shrill. "Get off me!" The Doctor dragged her roughly past Martha's room and as far away as possible. She screamed all the way, biting down on his arm in an attempt to escape. Just as they reached the 'cell' and the Doctor was about to push her in, the TARDIS shuddered as something smashed against the ship. Rose broke free and began to run.

"NO!" The Doctor chased back after her, but she had disappeared. He turned his attention to the door of Martha's room, which he entered.

"What was that?" demanded Martha.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, really I am. But where's Rose."

"I don't exactly know."

"Doctor-" He shook his head.

"Just stay here?"

"No, no, no. I'm getting dressed and coming out there. Yes, I am," she added, cutting him off. He smiled at her despairingly.

"You're going to need some help with that then." Martha bit her lip, wondering if this was a ploy to get her naked. But no, he honestly looked like he wanted to help her.

"Thank you," she said. "You can pick for me." He selected a top and pair of jeans out of her wardrobe, as well as underwear. It was a slow process, but between them they managed to dress Martha without hurting her too much. As he brushed out her hair, his movements were punctuated by another jolt against the side of the TARDIS. Martha nearly slipped off the bed. "Doctor!"

"Uh oh!" He rushed outside, and began to operate the console. "Something following us, Martha."

"Something?" she asked quizzically.

"Yeah…" his teeth gritted in concentration. "Ahhh. They're still following us." Martha heaved herself to her feet and shakily made her way out, leaning against the doorframe.

"How you've got a time machine."

"Stolen technology, they've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe- they're never gonna stop."

"But who are they?"

"Doctor…" the Doctor tensed as his name was called from whoever was outside the TARDIS.

"What!" 

"We want you!"

"Unless…" the Doctor hesitated. "I'll have to do it." He crossed over to Martha, cupping her face in his hands. "Martha, you trust me don't you."

"Of course I do."

"Good because it all depends on you…"

**III**

Rose watched from the sidelines as the Doctor, attached to the weird, head thingy, screamed and screamed and screamed. Martha was standing before him, shaking, her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide in shock. Rose felt nothing. Smugly, she realised she was stronger than Martha. This made her happy.

At this sudden change of events, the Master had given her new instructions. Slot into this new life the same as Martha would have to. Gain her trust, and gain John Smith's trust too.

"Seduce him," he had whispered into Rose's ear.

"Make him fall for you, and Martha will be so jealous. Then, kill her, just as he wakes from his human life, so I can see the look of his face."

"I swear," she said. "I won't let you down."

III

** 2013… Lofton Towers boarding school.**

Martha's mind was spinning. She stood outside the ancient building, a suitcase gripped tightly in one hand, a handbag slung over the opposite shoulder. She could see kids milling around inside through clear, open windows. To her left, was the Doctor, or John Smith as she had to learn to call him. The TARDIS had disappeared to somewhere hidden and secret, and Martha had been unable to stop Rose fleeing from the time ship, pushing past John Smith as he staggered out.

Speaking of the man, he was stood to her left, just coming to his senses. Martha realised he was dressed in a suit very different to her favourite brown pinstriped one; it was black and unbuttoned, revealing a pressed white shirt tucked into his trousers. Martha too had changed into clothes that the TARDIS had provided her, a simple black dress cut below the knee with a jacket.

"Hello!" John Smith called out to her. She turned, and smiled at him.

"Hello." This was surreal.

"My names Smith. John Smith. I'm new here."

"My names Martha Jones," she said, shaking his offered hand. "Me too."

"Really? Well, by the look of you, I'd say you were a newly qualified teacher, Martha."

"Really? What do you mean?"

"I just mean you're too young to have been in teaching for very long," he said. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"It's ok," she said. "And you'd be right. I can honestly say I've never been a real teacher before."

"I think I have," he said. "What subject are you?"

"Urm… biology," she said, looking down at the name badge pinned to her jacket. "Apparently. And you're…"

"History. No idea where I'm going."

"No, me neither." They shared a smile.

"Any idea what the time is?" he asked. "I have a watch but I think it's a bit of a family relic, doesn't open."

"Really?" said Martha nervously. She looked at her wrist. "Eight thirty. We should be getting inside."

"Definitely," he said. They walked through the main entrance; Martha observed that the Doctor- no John Smith- seemed to know where he was going. "Well I'm going to drop my stuff off in my room. I believe the female teacher boarding rooms are that way-"

"We're boarding!" blurted out Martha. John Smith smiled.

"Surely they didn't neglect to tell you that."

"No, of course. I knew we were boarding. I was just… thinking aloud."

"All right," he laughed. "Well I have to find my classroom as well so I probably won't be seeing you until lunch…"

"That's fine," said Martha. "I'm more than capable of finding my way around."

"I know you are. I'll see you later Martha Jones." Martha Jones. The way he said reminded Martha of how the Doctor did. She sighed. Three months.

"See you later, she muttered, and walked away from him.

III

Martha sat behind a desk in a classroom full of fourteen year olds as read the note that she had found in her suitcase packed by the TARDIS. In her case she had also found some school word sorted into folders for different year groups so the first day was relatively easy, as the class sat making notes on a video on respiration. Engrossed in the short letter, Martha sat back further in the uncomfortable chair, tracing the words with her finger. A lump rose in her throat, but she forced it down.

_Martha,_

_It's hard to explain this in a letter. You are a teacher now, and you will be for three months if all goes to plan. I'm sorry. I can explain. The TARDIS is hidden in the village, behind the butchers shop. There's a video on there. Watch it. It'\l keep you safe, I promise. The three months will be up before you know it._

_Love, the Doctor._

Love the Doctor.

III

Lunchtime.

Martha hurried out of her classroom a little too quickly and collided with someone. A woman. A woman holding a handbag, the contents of which were now scattered across the floor.

"I'm so sorry," gasped Martha. "I should have looked where I was going." The woman smiled tiredly, and for the first time, Martha studied her. She was an older woman (at least older than Martha that was) with blonde hair.

"Don't worry about it," she said, bending down to pick up the papers coating the floor. Martha helped her. "Where were you rushing off to then?" she asked.

Martha smiled. "Nowhere really. Just out… I'm sorry it's been a long day." The woman smiled properly this time.

"Joan Redfern," she said. "I'm the school nurse." School nurse. There was a job Martha could have done and would have done quite happily, rather than all this teachering the Doctor had plunged her into.

"Martha Jones. Biology teacher."

"You're new then are you?"

"Yes," she said. "But I'm not here for long. I've got a three months contract."

"I noticed you coming in with a man earlier. Do you know him well?" Martha's skin crawled as the woman's eyes slid onto her bare wedding finger.

"He only just met me," she said truthfully.

"Really!" Joan turned this idea over in her head. "So is he married?" Martha froze.

"I don't know," she said slowly. "He could be. Yeah probably. He seems like the married with kids kind of guy, doesn't he?"

"Oh I don't know," she said musingly. "I'm sure it's none of my business really. See you later."

"Ok," said Martha, hugging her folder to her chest. "Ok." Joan Redfern walked away.

III

John Smith forced his way through the masses of children, in a desperate bid to get out of the crowded corridors. He had no idea what had possessed him to become a teacher. It wasn't in his nature. Once this three-month contract was up he would quit his job and start over.

Over the heads of the school kids he noticed a certain Martha Jones. The glimmer of familiarity comforted him and he fought his way over to the young teacher. She smiled at him and he detected a strange look in her eye.

"Hello," she said. "How's your first day been so far?"

"Mixed," he said. "It's almost like I've never taught before." Martha smiled sympathetically.

"I'm having lunch in the staff room," she said. "You coming?"

"Yeah," he said. "Sure. Urm…. Which way?"

"This way."

Four minutes and twenty-three seconds later (though John had no idea how he knew this exact figure) they were sat in the staffroom surrounded by other teachers and whoever else worked in a school. He nervously toyed with his folder, and kept looking down at the timetable on his lap to see what classes he had next.

"Why so tense?" John started as a female voice shattered his reverie. It wasn't Martha, she was sat chatting to a male teacher, so he looked up.

"Hello," he said. "Who are you?"

"Joan Redfern," she gushed. "I'm the school nurse."

"Really? That's… interesting."

"I wish I could agree with you," she joked. "When I was kid I wanted to be a nurse thinking I'd save lives. Look at me now, in a school, dealing with fingers trapped in doors and fights between hormonal kids wanted to prove their masculinity…"

"I understand," smiled John. "Teaching history isn't exactly what I expected either."

"Oh?" Joan tilted her head to the left. "What's different from what you expected?" Martha watched Joan a little protectively as she talked to the Doctor- John Smith. She knew he wasn't himself but somehow she couldn't handle seeing him talking to the other woman. But her attention was averted when she noticed somebody coming through the staffroom door.

She jumped to her feet.

It was Rose.


	20. Instructions

**Happy New Year everyone! Anyone remember this story? The gap between updates had been lengthening chapter by chapter and I have no idea why… sorry everyone! I hope this is ok.**

Martha realised with a jolt that she was the only one who had jumped at the arrival of one Rose Tyler. She swallowed as the blondes brown eyes met hers and Rose smiled lazily. Then she discovered that she was not, indeed the only person who had noticed the girl's sudden appearance. So had the Doc- John Smith.

He jumped up, a stupid grin on his face. "Hello," he said, his eyes glazing first over the woman he had been previously engaged in polite conversation with and then, Martha. Rose smiled in his direction.

"Hello yourself," she said. "Haven't seen you round here before."

"That's because I haven't been round here before," he grinned goofily. Martha could honestly say that, as John Smith, the Doctor had never been less attractive to her. She couldn't bear to see it any longer, and excused herself noisily, pushing her way out of the staffroom. As she slammed the door behind her, she heard a snatch of what Rose was saying.

"I'm sorry Mr Smith, but I have stuff to do." And the door opened and shut again. Martha turned round angrily to stare in the face of Rose. Barely containing her fury she clenched her hands by her sides.

"You tried to kill me," she hissed. "You…" With all the terrible things Martha had discovered about Rose buzzing in her mind, she could barely find the words to accuse her of all the wrongs. Rose smiled easily.

"Let's put that behind us," she said. It was so absurd Martha laughed a little. Rose's lip curled. "Are you taking me for a fool?"

"You are one," Martha spat. "You tricked him, you tricked the Doctor into marrying you but you've been cheating on him. With the Master." Shock flickered across Rose's face.

"That's not true-"

"You know it is!"

"Shut up!" Rose's hand flew up to slap her but Martha's fist met it, flicking it down to Rose's side.

"Don't you dare try to do that again," Martha warned. "And keep away from the Doctor. And John Smith. And me. Got it?"

"Can't," said Rose idly. "I've got a job here." Martha scoffed.

"Right. Teaching what exactly?"

"Not just teachers work in this dump 'Doctor' Jones," said Rose. "You've got cleaners. Dinner ladies. Stuff like that. I'm going for the latter. And I'm going to win back the Doctor. You'll see. He's only got one heart right now yeah? And it's for me. You'll see."

"No. You'll see," said Martha. "And even if John Smith does… say he likes you, you've got to remember he's not the Doctor. Not even close. Got it?"

"Oh but he is the Doctor," said Rose. "Same hair. Same eyes. Same-" Her eyes shone. "Body." Martha turned away.

"I should go."

"Yeah. You should."

_Martha,_

_It's hard to explain this in a letter. You are a teacher now, and you will be for three months if all goes to plan. I'm sorry. I can explain. The TARDIS is hidden in the village, behind the butchers shop. There's a video on there. Watch it. It'\l keep you safe, I promise. The three months will be up before you know it._

Love, the Doctor.

Martha sat at her desk, five minutes before the end of lunch, biting into a sandwich with more force than was probably necessary. Her fingers toyed with the frayed edges of the note- the only contact she had with the Doctor. She smiled, her mind wandering over the times they had spent together. She recognised with a pang she missed him. All she wanted to do was to see him face- properly.

Five minutes later Martha strode out of the building, following a brief phone call to emergency cover requesting a supply teacher to take over her afternoon classes. The reason she gave was a 'sudden family emergency'. She hurried down the road and into the village. "Butchers, butchers, butchers, butchers-" she muttered under her breath. She smiled in relief when she saw the shop, the animals hanging in the window like an old fashioned drawing. She didn't think there were any shops like that in London. Not where she'd grown up anyway.

Looking left and right, Martha crossed the road and stood before the butchers shop. The TARDIS, she knew, was parked behind the shop. Without a second thought she climbed over the side gate and was in the back yard of the butchers. Her heart leapt to her throat and she cried out in joy as the TARDIS focused into her vision. She ran into the ancient machine, her hands brushing along the beams. "Hello," she said, her voice thick. She walked forward with shaky steps and found that, if she screwed up her eyes, she could almost see the Doctor dancing around the console.

She rested down onto the worn, brown chair. Then she jumped. "Doctor!"

"This working?" Martha's exclamation caught in her throat.

"The video," she whispered.

"Martha, before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. Number one, don't let me hurt anyone. Two-" Martha listened numbly as he babbled on and on and on. The video finished. She played it again from the start making notes of the words the Doctor said. She touched the screen, touched his face.

"I'll look after you," she said. "I promise."

*** 6 weeks later***

"Does that solve your problem?" Timothy Latimer looked up at his biology teacher and smiled.

"Yes. Thank you Miss. I get it now."

"I'm glad," she smiled back at him. "If you ever need a hand with anything like this again, give me a call, yeah?" Timothy flushed in pleasure.

"Thanks Miss Jones." And he left the room. A chuckle came from the corner of the empty classroom.

"Blimey he's fallen for you all right!" Martha raised her eyebrows.

"Say what now?" Jenny laughed again, taking a bite of her apple.

"C'mon Martha. Don't tell me you never had a crush on a teacher. This schools not used to young, pretty teachers like you, you know that!"

"Sure it is," said Martha. "They've got you." Strictly speaking Jenny wasn't a teacher- she was the science technician in charge of all of the supplies and making sure everything was safe. She and Martha had become strong friends in the month and a half Martha had been there.

"Don't be thick," said Jenny. "They don't look at me in me overalls now do they?"

"Well maybe they should. Anyway I'm going in six weeks so-"

"Why are you so keen to get out of this place?" asked Jenny curiously. "As wages go…."

"Maybe I wasn't meant to be a teacher," said Martha. "Maybe I was meant to be something else." Jenny choked on her apple.

"Are you kidding me? All the kids love you- even the girls. And you know more about biology than any of the half qualified teachers here."

"Goes with the job," she muttered. She checked her watch. "I'm sorry I have to go down to-"

"To the village," finished Jenny with a smirk. "Well you've got twenty minutes."

"I'll hurry!"

"You better." As she hurried out of the biology lab she nearly collided with Timothy Latimer.

"Oh God sorry, Tim," she said. "I didn't see you there. Is there anything you need?"

"No… I just left my p.e kit in your room Miss."

"That's fine Tim, go on in," she said, and hurried on. Tim's eyes dropped to the ground and noticed a piece of paper fluttering to the ground. No not one…two. Stapled together. He crouched down and picked them up.

"Miss Jones I think you dropped-" But his biology teacher was gone. He folded the paper and shoved it in his pocket, vouching to give it to her later.

A week later…

It was midnight. Tim Latimer sat upright in his bed, using the light from his mobile phone to read the note Miss Jones had dropped. He hadn't meant to- it was her business of course- but when he'd come across it while the school bully Jeremy Baines turned his pockets inside out looking for money- his eyes had began to read it. And now he couldn't stop! None of it made any sense.

_Martha,_

_It's hard to explain this in a letter. You are a teacher now, and you will be for three months if all goes to plan. I'm sorry. I can explain. The TARDIS is hidden in the village, behind the butchers shop. There's a video on there. Watch it. It'\l keep you safe, I promise. The three months will be up before you know it._

Love, the Doctor.

Tim narrowed his eyes. Why was this 'Doctor' telling Miss Jones that she was a teacher- she knew she was a teacher. And come to that, who was the Doctor anyway?

Tim turned the paper over and began to read the other words. These were written in a different hand- Miss Jones' hand.

_Important:_

_1) Don't let him hurt anyone. Self explanatory._

_2) TARDIS= OK. Family can't track it. Whoever the family are._

_3) No interfering with historical events. As if I'd recognise them if I did what with it being 6 bloody years into the future._

_4) Well. He wouldn't abandon me. Would he?_

_5) Don't let him eat pears. Apparently he dislikes them. Whatever. They're good for you._

_6) Don't let him run off. He needs to stay near. Or else in three months he won't have me to wake him up and he'll stay human forever._

_7) Rose. Keep away from her basically. He reckons she might come back and he was right. Protect myself from her. Avoid her._

_8) Keep his existence a secret. As if I do anything else._

_9) If I need any information to get me out a tight spot I can find it all in the TARDIS._

_10) Don't get involved with anyone in 1923. It would be complicated. _

_11) Also he says he'd be a teensy weensy bit jealous if you decided to go against the above advice. Sorry._

_12) He is no longer allergic to human medicines. _

_13) There is, however, a very strong possibility he has an allergy to pineapples._

_14) He then went to remind me how little he liked pears. In case I'd forgotten._

_15) I am never, ever, ever, ever, ever to watch some program called 'hiss-pitol.' Apparently it is a medical drama and I would hate it. I guess he's trying to protect me. Which is cute but a tiny bit strange as well._

_16) Devices common in this year can be found in the storeroom of the TARDIS. IPods and stuff. Not much has changed._

_17) This one was garbled quite quickly but I can deduct that amongst the 'not that I doubt you's' and 'I'm sure it won't happen' that he was telling me not to get myself sacked. Which is fair enough._

_18) If he gets sacked… well don't let him get sacked. He hadn't thought about this one before making the video. Bless._

_19) He says this one is important. I need to look after myself. There are dressings and those really strong painkillers in the TARDIS. Whatever. Doesn't hurt that much any more._

_20) He said that if I get hurt in any other way he doesn't care what's going on, open the watch. Even if only a weeks gone by, he says he doesn't care. That really is sweet. But still a tiny bit strange._

_21) He says he's nearly done now. Great use of a 21, Doctor._

_22) He says that he loves me. And John Smith might now. And he's sorry about that. But the Doctor loves me. Which is great._

_23) Finally. If they find us I'm to open the watch. _

_How hard can it be?_

John Smith was on corridor duty. It was basically walking up and down the corridor where the year ten boys slept in the first few hours after bedtime to make sure they were settling down. And it was as boring as hell. However, it was time to turn over things in his mind. Time for a think. A ponder. Contemplation. And only one thing were on his mind at the moment. Women.

On one hand there was Joan. Clever, intelligent, well spoken Joan. Intelligence was a quality he valued in anybody, including the pretty blonde. She did a very good as school nurse and was extremely capable. But… she was so… predictable. John had led a boring, dull life and he wanted to introduce some fun and excitement into it. But he did get a little thrill whenever they talked.

And then there was Rose. The pretty, mouthy blonde with a shining smile and naïve eyes. She wasn't intelligent… no way, but she was exciting. A kind of woman John had never been on first name basis with before. But could he trust her? Could he pretend that he hadn't seen the cold glint in her eyes, her hard, cruel jaw and her merciless smile?

So, two women. Two women who were both devoted to him, running around him like puppies eager to do his bidding. Two choices. He couldn't have both. Well, he'd tried. He remembered when he'd first kissed Joan. In his study. He'd been doing some recreational construction work and dropped a hammer on his foot. Joan had come in to treat him and on an impulse, he kissed her. Because in the back of his mind, he remembered loving something about… doctors. Something about those with the skills and knowledge that allowed them to practise first aid confidently. It was weird. He'd never dated a doctor.

They'd kissed a few times after than but never taken it further. No way. Not with what was going on with Rose. She'd initiated the first kiss. Five minutes later he'd found himself pushed up against as wall her hands straying to the buttons lining his shirt. That was when he gently prised her away, explained it was too much too soon and walked away.

It kept him on his toes. Kissing in secret. The fear of Rose walking in while he was with Joan or the other way round. It was fun.

He frowned as he saw a light shining from one of the dormitories. Number 032. Tim Latimer and Tristan Watt's room. He walked briskly over to the door and opened it. He was greeted by the sight of Tim sat upright in bed reading with the light from a phone and Tristan snoring away.

"What are you doing Timothy?" he asked sternly. "It is way past your lights out you should be asleep."

"Sorry Mr Smith." Tim wrenched his eyes away from the list. Wait a second. John Smith? The teacher took the paper from his hands and scanned it.

"What on earth is this?"

"Nothing sir. A letter."

"From your parents?"

"Maybe sir." He put it in his pocket.

"I'll keep hold of it. We don't want you getting tempted by it, do we? You can have it back in the morning."

"Ok sir. Sorry sir."

"Go to sleep now, Tim. This isn't like you."

"No sir."

"All right then. Good night."

"Night sir." John closed the door and turned, finding himself face to face with Martha Jones. He smiled.

"Hello Martha. How are you?"

"I'm here to relieve you," she smiled. "Your hour is up!"

"It seems pretty quiet," said John. "Shouldn't be too much trouble."

"I'm sure it won't be," said Martha. "So where are you off to now?"

"Don't know. I may turn in for the night. Or I may do some work in my study."

"Will Joan Redfurn be there?" John's expression froze.

"I'm sorry…"

"Or will it be Rose Tyler?" John's face flushed a deep red.

"Martha… I can explain…"

"Don't worry about it," she said. "It's none of my business what you're doing."

"So you know about… have you seen us?"

"No," said Martha. "But I'm not a complete idiot either. Sorry John. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. All I have to say is… please be careful."

"Huh?"

"Just… please be careful. I think Joan's waiting for you. I saw her outside your office about five minutes ago. Don't you think you should go to her?"

"I'm sorry Martha Jones," he said, and for a second, it could have been the Doctor speaking. Then he snapped back and hurried away, down the corridor. Martha sighed.

**Sorry again for the long wait. Next chapter the opening of the watch. And other complications.**


	21. Awakening

**Yay, quite update! Enjoy!**

Joan Redfurn crept out of John Smith's office at one in the morning, leaving a hot, flustered, ashamed John behind. Somehow it didn't matter to him too much if Rose found out about what he was doing with Joan any more. Or visa versa. But discovering that Martha knew more than she had previously let on had hurt him. He was scared that she was disappointed in him and he didn't know why. Martha was nice and all that but not his type. Sure she was beautiful- stunningly beautiful, intelligent AND funny but… oh what the hell she was every inch his type and he knew it.

But what must she think of him now? A pathetic, two-faced little rat? A coward, a womanizer. And maybe he was one. He'd certainly been behaving like one of late. It really wasn't like him. He sighed, stretching himself out on his sofa. Something crackled in his pocket. He extracted a piece of paper. Where had that come from? Oh yes, he'd found Timothy Latimer hunched over it in the dead of night, mere hours before. He unfolded the creases, lay back and began to read.

The next morning.

Martha was sat in her classroom making some last minute changes to her lesson plan when a tentative tap on the door alerted her. She looked up.

"Hello John," she said, smiling.

"Martha," he muttered. "How are you doing?"

"Very well thank you. Do you want anything?"

"No. I mean… yes. I do." He looked troubled. She raised an eyebrow, confused.

"What's up?"

"I found… some writing," he said apologetically.

"Yeah?" She nearly smirked but sensed this was anything but funny. "Go on."

"It had my name on it," he said. "And yours as well. And a few others. It referred to Rose Tyler's as well. And some kind of doctor, but it didn't say his name." Martha paled.

"Oh," she said. "Where did you read it?"

"I confiscated it from a pupil," he said. "He was reading it when he was meant to be asleep. Last night. It's here." He fished it out of his pocket. Martha held out of her hand.

"Please may I look?"

"Yeah, sure." Martha immediately recognised the note from the Doctor and the list she had made to remember the Doctor's twenty-three instructions.

"Why did you read this?" she said nervously. "It was addressed to me."

"I didn't mean to," he said. "When I found it on Tim-"

"Tim? As in Timothy Latimer? How the hell did he get hold of it?"

"When I found it on Timothy I naturally scanned it over to check what it was. I didn't know what it was. I wouldn't have read it if I knew that it was yours."

"Right," she said. "Ok. Well I have classes to prepare for."

"Wait!" The Doctor swallowed. "Please. Now I've read it… I have to know what it means. Why is my name all over it?" Martha ducked her head.

"It's none of your business."

"It is Martha! My names on it! And this!" He dived into his pocket and whipped out the fob watch. "I don't know what this is and I don't know how I got it. But it's mentioned in that!" Martha stumbled over her words.

"John… just leave it… there's nothing to do with you in this… I…"

"Yes there is! Martha tell me the truth! I've got to know! Have you been…" he blushed. "Having me…"

"Stalked? No. Who do you think I am? This is a private letter from a friend and you had no business to read it!" John teased his nails under the edge of the watch. "And I can't even open this bloody watch! Before I didn't care but now-"

"Stop! Don't open it!"

"What?"

"I mean… it's not going to open is it? It's stuck." Kids began to line the corridors outside. Martha's face softened. "I'm sorry John. I can't explain this. But this is nothing… nothing that will hurt anybody. You have to know that. You'll know one day. I promise you will."

"When?" he hissed. Martha rubbed her forehead.

"Not for a while. I'm sorry but my Year eights are waiting for me." John sighed in frustration and stormed out the room, scattering the students. Martha watched helplessly as the children filed in the room.

"What's wrong with him," sniggered one of the boys.

"Was that a lovers tiff, Miss?" another suggested. Martha smiled humourlessly.

"You can hand out the text books for that Daniel," she said. "Page… thirty six. How does the body control its temperature?"

"Miss Jones?" a mocking voice echoed over the children. Rose Tyler. A couple of the cockier boys wolf whistled. She grinned lapping it up.

"What do you want?" asked Martha, struggling to keep her voice civil.

"A word."

"I'm teaching."

"We don't mind Miss," said Daniel, the boy who was handing out the books.

"This is important." Rose's voice was cool, detached. Martha turned to the class.

"Copy out the words you don't understand and define the ones you do. You have five minutes. See what you can come up with." She turned to Rose. "Five minutes."

"More than enough." Martha strode out of the room and shut the door of the classroom.

"What is it," she said. "I thought I told you to stay away."

"I opened the watch," she said. Hand on her hip, hair tossed back. Proud of herself.

"What," she hissed. She felt faint. "How the hell do you even know about that?"

"…"

"Oh right. The Master."

"I didn't say that."

"Whatever. It doesn't even matter. Are you telling the truth?"

"Do I look like a liar?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

"Well it's the truth all right!"

"Then why are you telling me this? Where's the Doctor?

"Dunno."

"Yes you do. Rose, you've got to tell me!" But she didn't need to.

"MAAAAAAAARTHAAA!" Martha nearly passed out.

"Doctor!" Her voice caught in her throat. There he was, racing around the corner, arms wide open. Rose parted her lips in shock.

"But… that wasn't meant to…"

"Martha!" he gasped. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along the corridor and out into the car park.

"Joh- Doctor! What's going on. It's too early!"

"Just run!" They raced around the corner.

"But where are we going?"

"Outside. TARDIS."

"But… what about… hang on why are we running?" Then she screamed as both she and the Doctor were thrown off his feet and bullets embedded themselves in the concrete. Martha snatched a look back. "Jenny?"

"C'mon! Up! Keep running!"

"Stop!" Somebody was stood in front of them. Martha looked up and saw Jeremy Baines, the sarcastic bully who picked on the younger children.

"Jeremy," she said, standing up. "What are you doing? You don't have to mix with these people…"

"Martha," the Doctor mumbled. "I think he's one of them."

"Huh?"

"They can take the form of humans."

"You mean… Jenny's…"

"I'm sorry," he said, taking her hand. She looked up at him and their eyes met. "For everything."

"My father!" Rose's voice rang out across car park. "That's them. The Doctor and his… helper. Time to take them back to the Master."

"Mmmm," he said, clearly tempted by the Time Lord before him. "But eternal life… what's the point in waiting for it. I've got less than six weeks to live! We all have. There's nothing to stop up from killing him now! Forget about the Master."

"You don't understand," said Rose. "It is vital that the Master gets hold of the Doctor. As for Martha Jones… you can kill her. But the Master needs the Doctor! Understand!"

"But he can't find us! Not without a time machine! What's to stop up from just…"

"No! You can't!" Rose put herself between the boy and the Doctor. "I've got the sedatives right here, just wait a few more months. What a month when you've got forever after it?"

"Listen to her," said Jenny. Martha paled at the sight of her best friend in this place holding a gun. "The Master will track us down and find us! Husband of mine, we will have our eternal life. He promised us."

"Except you won't," piped up the Doctor. All eyes were on him.

"Doctor," muttered Martha. He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on though. You truly believed him? I mean I knew you were stupid but come on! Use those noggins of yours! This man is not one to keep a deal."

"He said you'd try to persuade us to drop the deal," said Jenny coldly. "We can still kill the girl right?"

"Wrong," said the Doctor. "Me and Martha are going and Rose is coming with us."

"I think you'll find that you're the one who's wrong," said Jeremy and Martha shivered the gun nestled in the back of her head. "Step away, Time Lord."

"No," he said quietly. "Put the gun down and I can help you."

"Yeah he said you'd say that too."

"Where is he? I need to talk to him personally!"

"Yeah he's pretty eager to see you too," smirked Rose.

"Then let Martha go and I can start to co-operate," he said. Rose threw her arms up in frustration.

"But why don't you see Doctor? Why don't you understand this is all for your own good! It's going to be me you and my Master. You used to be best friends! We don't need her!"

"I need her," the Doctor said. "Please, put the gun down. This has gone on long enough. Your taking out the anger you feel with me into Martha. She's innocent in all of this. You know that."

"I don't care," said Rose bluntly. She snatched the gun from Jenny and fired wildly. Jeremy dropped to the ground to avoid the bullets, screaming at Rose to stop. She didn't seem to hear him, her eyes burning with angry tears and her cheeks flushed a blotchy red. Martha cried out in fear and she stumbled to her feet and began to run. Rose was on the verge of breaking down, her face ruddy with tears and the family fled from her. The Doctor cursed and shouted something at Martha.

"What!"

"Bike sheds!" he cried. "I programmed the TARDIS to appear there when I woke up." Martha nodded fearfully and veered in the direction of the sheds. She kept stumbling over her own feet, her mind spinning. So Rose was in league with these… and Jenny had been turned into one of these…

The Doctor wrenched open the doors, and pushed Martha inside, then made sure he was in as well. "Are you hurt," he said urgently. "Hurt at all?"

"No," said Martha shakily. She accepted the Doctor's tight embrace, sniffing slightly. "I missed you… so much." He rested his chin on her hair.

"I'm so sorry," he said, his hand tracing up and down her back. Martha shook her head.

"Don't be silly. Nobody's fault." He tilted her chin up so their eyes met.

"I love you, Martha Jones," he said. She fixed her beautiful dark eyes on his intense browns ones.

"I love you too Doctor," she said, and their lips met. He closed his eyes, relishing the moment. She drew back. "What do we do?" The Doctor crossed over to the console and stroked it.

"Hello old girl," he whispered. He examined the screen that showed the scene outside. Martha joined him and he put an arm around her. "Audio please," he said. Rose was on the floor beating her fists against the floor in frustration.

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" she wailed. "Why the hell doesn't he understand? I don't get it!"

"We need to get back," said Jenny. "To the Master. He'll know what to do." Rose rubbed her eyes shakily.

"We can't leave him," she said. "Not stuck alone with that bitch."

"We have to!" snapped Jeremy. "Now grab hold or we'll go without you!"

"What are they doing?" Martha asked.

"Watch." Martha blinked as Jeremy, Jenny and Rose disappeared completely.

"Whoa!"

"Yeah. They travelled in time."

"Where?"

"I don't care," said the Doctor. "No, don't look at me like that. I do care. But not now. You deserve a rest. We'll go into the Time Vortex, spend a few days recuperating. We'll have a think and then figure out what to do. Deal?"

"Deal," Martha agreed. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah. Head ache. Nothing to worry about. Speaking of worrying, how's your stomach?"

"It's fine," she said. "I'm changing the dressing still. But not so often. It's gonna leave a scar though." She sighed. "Never mind. I was lucky, I suppose."

"It won't scar. When I treated it I made sure of that." Martha almost opened her mouth to ask how, but thought better of it.

"Right. Thanks." They walked, hand in hand, into the room where they liked to relax together, with the comfy chairs and the television. The Doctor made her lie on the coach while he lifted up the hem of her top and unwound the bandage.

"Looking good," he said. "You've obviously looked after it well."

"I am a doctor," she said. "Nearly."

"You're as good as one," he said. He leant across her and kissed her. She hooked her arms around his neck pulling him closer, desperately trying to get him closer to her, as close as she physically could.

"I missed you," she mumbled into his mouth. He didn't reply, just pulled her up against his chest, still frantically kissing her.

"Martha," he sighed, nibbling her ear lobe, her neck. She moaned.

"Doctor."

"Martha."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

**Next chapter coming up soon! Thanks for reading**


	22. Don't blink!

**Thanks for those who I asked for advice. Here is my decision: this chapter and the next will detail the scenarios that happen in 1969. Then we will move onto the nitty gritty of the year and what caused it to happen. If you're still reading, thank you, and I hope you en joy.**

Martha nervously tapped on the door, shuffling her feet back and forth anxiously. The Doctor placed a comforting hand on her hip and pulled her closer.

"We're nearly there," he said. "We know lots now. If Jackie can give us the answers we could be onto something good. And we stop the disaster before it happens."

"Yep," said Martha. She was pleased at how far they had come over the last three weeks- since they had left from 2013. They spent more time together, just sitting, just being. They talked more, for longer, sometimes about nothing. He hugged her more often; they were more intimate with each other. Before, it had always been the Doctor initiating the 'moments', now it was both of them. It was like the time Martha had spent without the Doctor in 2013 had broken down all the needles of hesitation stabbing brutally at her heart whenever he made to kiss her. Now she leant forward to meet her lips to his, she came up behind him and kissed him, and of course he eagerly accepted. Without exception.

They'd also been doing some scouting around, investigating the whole 'Master' idea. Martha wasn't sure what she was looking for, and if she should be glad there was another Time Lord around, or wary. How had he survived the war? And why wasn't the Doctor aware of his existence? It didn't make any sense. They'd got a couple of leads regarding the Master, all of which had fizzled out into dead ends. They'd spoken to everyone who was close to Rose, Pete, Mickey and a few friends who were unaware of how she travelled in time- everyone apart from Jackie. Martha had only met her once... if you could count that as a meeting. And now they were stood outside of her door, waiting to ask her a few questions.

The door slid open slightly, and the Doctor stepped forward to greet her- but Jackie didn't open all the way, just held it slightly ajar, ducking behind it.

"'oo is it?" she cried, her voice shrill. "Listen... you better give me back my Rose or I'll kill yeh a'right?" The Doctor and Martha shared a glance.

"Jackie," said the Doctor softly. "Jackie it's me. The Doctor." The door flew open.

"Is Rose with you?" Martha blinked. Jackie didn't look half the woman Martha remembered storming into the TARDIS.

"I'm sorry," said the Doctor. "She's not. But we can find her for you. We just need some help first."

"Are you mad?" The Doctor didn't blink.

"Let me help." Jackie's eyes filled with tears but she blinked them furiously down.

"And you bought her!" spat Jackie, glaring at Martha. "It's the reason Rose got involved with that man. She knew she couldn't 'ave you so she went for 'im didn't she, the stupid little... oh God, Doctor, I need 'er back!" She broke down. Martha stepped back as Jackie fell into the Doctor's open arms, sobs wracking her body. He looked over her glumly, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Can we come in," he asked, after a few seconds. She wavered, looking around.

"I don't know," she said, pulling out of the hug. She turned to Martha. "I don't usually cry," she said. Martha nodded.

"I'm sorry," she said. And Jackie knew she meant it. The Doctor spoke.

"We can't find Rose without your help, Jackie," he said. "I think you know where she is."

"I don't," she said. "And if I did know, I couldn't tell you."

"Why not?" Jackie gnawed at her lip.

"I just..."

"Jackie is there somebody in the house?" asked the Doctor, his voice steady. Jackie was torn. Then she made her decision. She nodded, then said

"No, of course not," loudly. The Doctor nodded in understanding.

"So Jackie," he winked. "Is Pete at work?" Before she had a chance to answer, he flashed up the physic paper. Martha craned to read it. It said: Is Rose with the Master.

"Yes," said Jackie, her eyes darting about nervously. Martha had to admire the Doctor's cunning.

"Oh really? Will he be home soon?" The words on the physic paper changed.

Do you know where she is?

"No," said Jackie firmly. "I mean... Pete's on a business trip."

"Ah so you must be lonely, if Rose isn't here and Pete's not here and there's nobody in the house." Jackie didn't answer. "Why don't you come for lunch?" Jackie shook her head.

"I don't know."

"Why don't you check the diary," he said. "See if you're free, say... this time tomorrow?"

"Ok," she said. "I will Doctor. Thank you. And you. Martha." Tears beaded in her eyes again and she forced them down. "Wait here." The door swung shut. Jackie closed her eyes and took three deep breath, casting a fearful glance as the microphone secretly concealed in her pocket. There were more hidden around the house as well.

Then She stepped around the corner. She raised an immaculate eyebrow and Jackie stared back defiantly. "What!"

"So will you be dining with the Doctor and Martha Jones?" she asked, a cold glint in her eye.

"I dunno," she said. "I don't have much pick over my lunch dates nowadays do I?"

"Correct," the woman seemed to think for a moment. "Go to lunch with the Time Lord," she said. "And remember your conversation will be monitored and you receive instructions from me as to what you do, depending on your behaviour. Oh, and one more thing. We'll be parked opposite 'Andy's café', which is where you will meet him tomorrow." Jackie ducked her head.

"Yes."

"Good. You will tell him this."

"Ok." On the other side of the door, the Doctor and Martha were talking quietly.

"You think there's some associate of the Master inside the house with her?" Martha whispered.

"I'm almost certain of it," he said. "And if she says yes to tomorrow, that probably means-"

"She won't be alone," Martha finished. She shivered. "What if it's a trap?" she asked. "What if we're going to go meet her and then the Master jumps out and... 'cause we know he's after you, don't we? We just don't know why."

"Hmmm," said the Doctor. "I take your point." Jackie reopened the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she confirmed. The Doctor's smile snapped back on.

"Right you are. Have you got a certain place in mind?"

"There's this place called Andy's café. In the centre of Peckham."

"Lovely. We'll see you there, then."

"Yeah," she said. "Bye, Doctor. Martha."

"Bye," said Martha, taking in the dark circles under the older woman's eyes before the door swung shut.

The Doctor hooked him arm round Martha's and she pressed herself against his body. They walked along the road together, in amicable silence.

"So what now?" she asked. "We just zoom forward to this time tomorrow, get it over with?"

"If you like," he said. "But I actually detected some unusual energy coming from some old house a few miles from here. Want to check it out?"

"Sounds like fun," she said lightly. "As long as there's no random trips to the moon involved."

"I'm not making any promises."

Martha was frozen to the spot, her eyes watering. There were three of them altogether; one directly before her, one slightly to the left, and the one of the right was barely in her peripheral vision. She hadn't blinked for a full minute.

"Doctor," she said, her voice shaky. He was in the other room, dealing with some more angels. She called his name again, louder.

"What!"

"Doctor I can't do it any more."

"Don't be silly Martha. You can do anything, remember." She sighed. Her eyes were literally drying up in her skull. Surely it couldn't be that bad to blink. How fast could they move anyway?

"What if I blink really quickly," she said.

"No, Martha, don't!" he cried. Her eyes swivelled around, trying to catch a glimpse of him while not looking away from the angels. She cried out.

"Doctor there's one behind me!"

"I know, I'm looking at it. I'm going to start walking toward you, slowly. Don't turn around, don't look away and don't blink. Got it?"

"Yeah," he heard her say. He smiled, and began to edge towards the gap where a door had once been. He was shuffling sideways, one eye looking at the two angels suspended by the window, one looking at the one by Martha. He let out a breath as he sidled past the angel and nearer to Martha but it wasn't over let. He touched Martha's hand, and she jumped.

"Don't look around," he said. "It's only me." He positioned himself so they stood back to back, their fingers knotted together. She held onto him tightly.

"Please tell me you know how to get away without them killing us," she said, her voice tight.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know what to do. But you're not going to like it."

"I'm sure I'll cope," she said. "Tell me."

"You remember Sally Sparrow?" he began.

"No."

"The girl who gave me the folder when we were on the way to stop the Red Hatchings."

"And the lizard," she grinned. Then it dawned on her. "One day, you're going to get stuck in 1969... Please tell me you're joking."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I think this is it." She resolved not to moan, not to fuss, to accept her fate.

"Ok," she said. "Have you got the folder?"

"I've been carrying it everywhere," he said. She nodded, anxiety gnawing at her insides.

"Is it going to hurt?" she blurted out.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "Never done this before."

"Ok."

"On the count of three, we close our eyes. Don't you dare let go of me, Martha Jones."

"Promise," she said. He held onto her tighter.

"One. Two. Three."

Martha closed her eyes.

The next thing she knew, the floor beneath her feet vanished, her stomach jolted, and she felt the Doctor slipping away from her. She cried out, but her words were whipped away from her mouth, and the floor was replaced by hard tarmac, and a cold wind blew her hair in front of her face. She opened her eyes. "Doctor!"

"I'm here," he said. He gathered her close to her and she realised they were both shaking. "Are you ok?" she said it at the same time, both half grinned as they heaved themselves to their feet. Martha's limbs felt heavy and hard to control. She squinted in the dark- it was the middle of the night.

"London," said the Doctor. "October. 1969." Martha felt lost, confused. She shivered in the cold.

"We haven't got anywhere to go," she said. He shone his sonic along the brick wall they had landed against.

"Look. It's Wester Drumlins."

"Great," said Martha, a little sarcastically. "Are there any angels in there?"

"Not yet," said the Doctor. "At least, not according to the sonic." Martha nodded.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked.

"Around three in the morning," he said. "We can't find a place to rent tonight. And if we stay out here I'm pretty sure you'll freeze. You're not dressed for winter you know."

"Back home it's June," she reminded him, shivering none the less. He pulled her close, and wrapped half of his long coat around her, stroking her hair gently.

"So here's the deal," he said. "We sleep in there," he gestured at the house. "Or we sleep on that." He pointed at a bench. "Your choice." She treated him to her most sceptical look.

"What do you think?" she said, her voice dripping with scorn. She headed towards the house. "C'mon." Two minutes later, they were inside the house slumped against the wall, her head resting on his shoulder, the long coat covering both of them in a makeshift blanket. Martha found she wasn't tired- her body clock was working at mid afternoon. None the less the tried to listen to the calming noise of the Doctor's regular breaths and preserve the little warmth she could soak up from his body. Her mind was awake and alert though, pondering over her troubles- where would they stay? What would they eat? How would they get money? How long would they stay here? Why was it so hard not to get distracted when she was pressed up against the man she loved?

After about forty-five minutes of silence, the Doctor felt Martha's body grow heavy against a brief glance proved her to be asleep. He gently prised himself from beneath her and laid her on the floor covering her completely in his coat, after extracting a thick folder from one of the pockets. It was his top priority to make sure she stayed safe and healthy. And warm.

Using the light from his sonic, he slid the thick wad of paper out of the folder and began to read.


	23. I know

Martha awoke to a gentle shaking of her left arm. She opened her eyes, and blinked at the harsh sunlight gushing through the recently restored windows. The Doctor's face loomed before her and she smiled, a little bewildered. Then she remembered where she was.

"Mornin'," said the Doctor cheerily. "D'you wanna know what I did when you were asleep?"

"I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway," she teased him, pulling away the heavy fabric of his long brown coat away from her as she got up. He took her hand- a simple gesture he did so often now- and led her into the next room. Two of the walls were neatly wallpapered- and the other two lay in tatters, what Martha imagined to be the original wallpaper paper peeling off everywhere. And splayed across one wall was... nonsense. "This was you?" she asked, her finger tracing the words across the wall.

"Yep," he said. "Like in the folder."

"Course."

"And do you know what happens now, Martha Jones?" he asked, hopping from one foot to the other in badly concealed excitement. "We get to wallpaper over it! Look, the people who are meant to be doing the wallpaper obviously haven't got to work yet so if we hurry... and they left all of their tools and stuff right there, all the glue and everything! Isn't this exciting... you do know how to wallpaper don't you Martha?"

"I wallpapered my whole flat with the budget of twenty quid," she grinned, picking up one of the brushes. "I know a thing or two."

"Excellent. Let's get cracking!"

And in half an hour the entire room was finished. The Doctor had been babbling on for the entire time about glue, dungarees, the difficulty of orgasnising a royal fashion show in the year 3448, and King John 'off of Robin Hood'. Martha's head jerked up at the sound of advancing footsteps. She dropped the brush and turned to the Doctor, who pressed a pale, thin finger to his lips. "C'mon." The couple crept through the abandoned old house and Martha slipped off her high heels to minimize the clacking they made. They burst out into the sunlight and Martha giggled at the idea of the confused workmen coming in and realising their work was done for them.

The Doctor smiled at her in the light and kissed her gently. She buried her face in his chest and wondered what she must look like after a night of sleeping on the floor, fully dressed. "You look beautiful," he muttered into her hair and she smiled fondly up at him. "I really do love you," he told her. She nodded.

"I know you do."

***3 WEEKS LATER***

Martha slotted the key into the grimy lock and grimaced. "Honey I'm home?" she called out half-heartedly.

"Ha ha," the Doctor called back sarcastically. "You're late."

"Tell me about it," she said, yawning. She walked into the kitchen to see him sat, cross-legged on the floor, sonic screwdriver clenched between his teeth, normal screwdriver in his left hand. She sat beside him. "Have you eaten anything at all today" she asked him, as she so often did.

"Uhhh... not sure. Yeah I had those eggs... oh no that was yesterday wasn't it. Uh... no actually."

"Well we better do something about that then," she said. "I'm starving."

"How was work?" the Doctor tested the word nervously. Martha shrugged.

"Fine."

"How was it really?"

"Crap." The Doctor sighed.

"Sorry-"

"Stop bloody apologising!" Martha cried, leaning across to kiss him briefly on the lips. "It's not your fault. Now do we have any food in at the moment 'cos I don't get paid until Thursday-"

"Yeah we do," he interrupted, but he made to attempt to get up. Martha sighed, a little irritated.

"Looks like I'm cooking again tonight then," she muttered bitterly.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No, you said something, what was it?"

"Nothing!" she said, opening random doors, looking for anything vaguely edible. She felt his eyes boring into her and she ignored them, noisily grabbing tins from the cupboard. "What?" she asked the silence.

"Martha," he said. "Could you please pass me that cable?" Martha took in a deep breath.

"Sure," she said, tossing it in his direction. With faintly shaking hands she poured the tin of readymade soup into a saucepan, and then swore as the stove failed to turn on. "Urgh!" she thumped it with her fist. She felt the Doctor's cool hand snake gently round her wrist.

"Don't do that, you'll hurt your hand," he said softly. "Look Martha, love, I'll do it."

"No it's fine I can-"

"I know you can, but keep thumping it and you'll hurt yourself. Just sit down at the table and I'll sort it out." Martha grunted.

"Ok," she said, grudgingly taking a seat at the table before watching him battle with the stove until he successfully lit it on the third attempt. The flat was a dump. It was on the third floor of the four-floor block, and was going cheap due to the rough area, lack of heating, and unreliability of running water. It had taken them the full day to find a place, and Martha had started to think that they were sleeping in that creepy old house forever. Then they had found the flat- sure she hated it but it was better than some park bench.

"Ready," said the Doctor. He placed the bowl in front of her and she smiled gratefully.

"Thanks," she muttered. She heard a loud thump from upstairs, and both her and the Doctor raised their heads to look up. "Why that nutter hasn't been evicted," she muttered.

"Hmm," said the Doctor. "Why that mad old bat on the second floor hasn't been evicted..." he replied.

"Very true," said Martha, shivering. It was freezing in the flat, and she had barely any warm clothes. She took a sip of the warm soup, and although it warmed her a little, it was nowhere near enough.

"I have a surprise for you," said the Doctor casually. Martha looked at him through her dark eyelashes.

"What?"

"Finish your soup," he said, taking great mouthfuls of his. She grinned.

"You're so annoying," she informed him, shovelling her food into her mouth.

"And you're not very ladylike," he said smartly. She leant over the table and tapped him playfully.

"C'mon I've finished. What's this surprise?"

"This way." The Doctor led the way into their shared and only bedroom and gestured to the TV balanced precariously on the side... and switched it on. Martha gasped.

"You got it working!" she cried.

"I did indeed!"

"Thank you, thank you thank you," she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "Now we have something to do in the evenings."

"Not as many channels as you're used to I'm afraid," he said. "But better than nothing."

"Definitely," she said, weaving her fingers through his and smiling up at him. "I really do love you." The Doctor smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head.

"I know."

***LATER***

The Doctor walked along the busy south London streets with a spring in his step. The sun was shining and everything just seemed great today. His eyes wandering up to the huge department store looming against the horizon where he knew Martha would be working. He considered going into her work and surprising her... but no. He knew for a fact she would be busy and unable to offer him any greeting- which would then make her feel guilty.

Instead, he headed home, up the grimy stairs to the third floor and slotted the key into the lock. Then his eyes widened. Martha was sat on the floor, in the same place he had been sat when Martha had come home the night he'd fixed the telly.

"Martha?" She looked up at him, a little dazed.

"I just got fired."

"What?" The Doctor crossed over to sit by her. "Are you..."

"Ok? Yeah I'm fine." A thousand questions pressed against his lips; how will we get money, where can we get food, what happens when the rent is due, where on earth will you get another job... but he could tell that she was torturing herself with the very same worries and he didn't wish to voice her insecurities. Instead of the practical, but painful questions, he just asked one, more comforting one.

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

As Martha lifted the steaming mug to her hand with a shaky hand, she told the Doctor what had happened. "You know the boss doesn't like me," she said, taking a tentative sip. "He's been looking for an excuse to fire me for weeks. And then-" she took another sip. "Some money went missing from the till me and the other girl- Jane- share. And I heard them talking- my boss- and some other man 'ooh it must have been the coloured girl, Jane would never do anything like that' and 'we can get rid of her, she's no loss.' Next thing I know I'm handing in my stupid name badge and being escorted away by security."

"I'm sorry Martha," he said. "We'll sort something out."

"But the rent's due next week," she groaned. "And the landlords not giving us a second chance after being late on our first payment and-"

"Listen," he said, cupping her face in his hands. "We'll be fine, I promise." She looked up at him trustingly, almost childishly... and then the 'timey wimey detector' began to 'ding'. The Doctor jumped up. "Billy," he said. Martha grabbed her coat and they ran to the door. As she slammed it shut, the Doctor touched her wrist, stopping her gently in her tracks.

"I really do love you," he said.

"I know."

***MONTH LATER***

Martha had got another job. It was a job that paid the rent, that supplied them with food, and kept her slaving in a hot 'kitchen' from eight till seven. She sighed pushing a strand of hair behind her sweaty ear as she shovelled bacon into greasy rolls.

"Can I have a chip butty please," said a familiar voice. Martha looked up and put on her customer smile. Then a genuine- albeit confused grin curled her lips upwards.

"Doctor," she smiled. "What are you doing here?" The Doctor leant over the counter, pulling off her kitchen hat and untying her apron.

"Miss Jones I told you before, you have to wear your apron while you are working here," said the boss of the small, independent deli.

"Miss Jones won't be working here any more," said the Doctor.

"Doctor? What?" protested Martha. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

"The TARDIS has materialised," he said. "We're out of here." Martha cried out in joy and grabbed him by the lapels, kissing him fiercely. They walked- or ran- together towards the flat and gathered their few possessions. They left the keys on the table by the door and stood for a few seconds, surveying the scene of domestically they had created together.

"We did ok didn't we," the Doctor said. Martha nodded.

"Yeah. We did." They stood in silence, the Doctor leaning against his ship and gazing lovingly at the woman who had grown to mean so much to him.

"We're good together, me and you." Martha smiled radiantly.

"I really do love you," she said, using the key looped round her neck to open the TARDIS door. She felt the ship hum warmly at her as they walked in together. The Doctor shut the door behind them.

"I know."

**Next chapter up soon- hopefully.**


	24. The year that never was I

Martha sat numbly before the dying embers, twisting her fingers together anxiously. Other than this small moment, she was completely still, her face a picture of passive alertness, sat on her floor, legs hunched to her chest the reflection of the flames dancing in her eyes. She shivered slightly, and her head jerked up as somebody stood beside her.

"You should come inside." It was Maria, the woman Martha had rescued from one of the Master's concentration camps along with her family. Maria sighed.

"We lost a good man today," she said sadly, looking at one of the two caskets- the casket that held her nephew. "The girl you arrived with. Good friend of yours?" she asked, nodding at the flames. She spoke almost perfect English, with only the slightest trace of her native French accent. Martha shook her head.

"No," she said frankly. Maria sat on the floor beside her. The woman was about the same age as Martha's Mum- in fact she was a Mum herself with two boys, aged twenty and seventeen. There had been a third but…

Well. He was one of the ten percent. Maria stared into the flames and made the sign of the cross over her body.

"What's the key for?" she asked. "The Master's coffin?" Martha's mouth turned upwards, a fake smile.

"Nah. This man gave it to me."

"Oh? Is he…"

"He's alive," said Martha. "He's on the valiant. Where the Master is. Looking after my family." She touched the key with only faintly trembling fingers. Maria smiled.

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah," said Martha.

"How long were you two together. Before…" Martha refused to let her finish the sentence.

"I'll come inside," she said. "I'll tell you about him."

…

_The Doctor awoke slowly; surprised he'd even fallen asleep, with this beautiful woman distracting him, lying by his side. He turned over to look at her, kissing her face gently until she woke. She smiled at him._

"_Mornin'," she said._

"_Good morning," he replied. She turned over, groping for the clock._

"_What time is it?" she asked._

"_Time for you to go to work," he said. She sighed._

"_Yeah. Suppose."_

"_You've got an hour," he said lovingly. "I'll make you some breakfast."_

"_Thank you," she said. 1969. This would be hard to get her head round. They'd been there a week. Having arrived well into the night, they'd been forced to sleep in Wester Drumlins, something Martha was extremely uncomfortable with, despite the Doctor's reassurances. They'd got a house the next day, and got Martha a job the day after that. The Doctor had accompanied her through all the rejections and the point blank refusal to let 'someone of her type' work in their shop. Finally she's got a job in some run down record shop that didn't see many customers. But it was enough. Just._

_She sat up and thumbed through the folder that strange blond woman had given the Doctor about two weeks previous to their… attack. They'd been on the way to sort out the Red Hatching with those bows and arrows- that was a long day. She put it down and instead picked up the thick note pad she had filled to the brim with notes on Rose. Before they'd been relocated here, they'd talked to Jackie over the phone, as she refused to have them in her house. They hadn't gathered anything from that at all._

_..._

"Of course," Martha told the sea of fascinated faces. "Now I know the conversation was being listened to by the Master or somebody who worked for him."

"Why was he so interested in you?" asked Maria.

"He wasn't," said Martha. "He was interested in who I was with. The Doctor."

"Carry on with the story," cried one of the children. Martha smiled at the boy, and did as he asked her.

...

_The weeks went by, and morphed into months. So much happened, yet so little. The arrival of Billy, shooting the Easter eggs in the hired studios, the picnic they had that time, lying in the Doctor's arms night after night feeling not happy but… contented._

"You could travel in time?" asked the boy again. "For real?"

"For real," Martha confirmed. "In his ship. It's called the TARDIS. It's shaped like a police box but it's bigger on the inside." The boy smiled up at her.

"Can it travel to distant planets?"

"Yes," she smiled. "It can travel anywhere. Me and the Doctor. And Rose for a while. But the last month or so it was only him and me. Which was better for all of us.

"Where did Rose go?" asked Maria.

"I didn't know," said Martha, touching the key absent-mindedly. "Not until me, the Doctor and Jack went back to the Valiant and there she was. Filled up with these lies the Master had spun her about some race of Time Lord human hybrids, ruled by two kings and two queens. The Doctor and Rose. The Master and Lucy. I don't know how or why she believed and why she went along with it. He scared her with tales of the Doctor abandoning her... look this sounds weird when you don't know what's been going on with all this talk of Time Lords and... but it's difficult to explain."

"Then explain," said Maria softly. "Please Martha. We have all night." Martha hunched her knees to her chest.

...

_The three of them stood on the sidelines, watching as President Winter addressed the strange, floating orbs hovering in midair. She was holding onto the Doctor's hand, his thumb tracing comforting circles on her palm. Everything was too much. Utopia. Jack. The man who had so much charm but didn't make sense. She looked at him, at his defined jaw and sparkling blue eyes fixed solely on the Master. Then there was her family's arrest. Public danger numbers two. She'd never get used to that. She winced as the Master- or Harold Saxon as she'd once called him- leapt from his chair and began to talk wildly. Cruelly, his rants reminded her of the Doctor. _

_She cast a diagnostic eye over his wide, deranged eyes, his tense body language and the speed of his words. They say pride comes before fall, but Martha could not imagine this confident, invincible man falling any time soon. _

_Rose was stood on the balcony, surveying the mess with a smirk. Her eyes glazed over Martha, seeing, but not registering. Martha tapped the key- her one consolation. Then came the shot._

_It came out of nowhere and President Winter was disintegrated before her very eyes. Martha blinked, shocked._

_"What the-" But she had no time to finish her sentence. The Doctor lunched forward and two guards grabbed hold of him. Martha gasped. The Master laughed and Rose clapped her hands girlishly._

"_Doctor!"_

"_Stop this! Stop this now!" panted the Doctor. And it happened so fast. Jack pushed a teleport into her hands and the Doctor's young face withered and aged. And he was whispering in her ear, the plan. It sounded stupid, and simple, but she trusted him. With all her heart._

...

"I teleported in England," said Martha. "And I ran. I didn't stop. The teleport fizzled out. I don't know why it was always a bit temperamental. I met people and I told them stories. Like the ones I told you. And now, I'm here."

"What was your mission?" called out a man hunched up against the wall. Martha looked at the floor.

"A gun," she said. "Hidden in four corners of the world. I have to find it. It's the only thing that will kill him."

"Can you kill him," asked an elderly woman wrapped in a shawl.

"I can't," she said. "But the Doctor will beat him. I just have to do this for him first. I'm just helping him."

"You're helping the whole of humanity Martha Jones," said Maria, kissing her on both cheeks. Martha smiled.

"Then help me," she said. "I need you to do just one thing."

"Say the word," said Maria. "We'll do it."

"I need you to talk," said Martha. "Tell people, everyone, about the Doctor. The stories. I need everybody to know about him. Understand?" She was greeted by nods. "Thank you." The quite atmosphere in the room was broken when a young man burst through the doors, gabbling in a stream of disjointed French. It was Matthew, Maria's eldest. Martha couldn't understand what was being said but it couldn't be good- children were crying out for their mother's attentions and adults voices were rising in anxiety.

"Maria what-"

"Matthew says the soldiers found the bodies in the garden," she said. "They are trying to break down the door. The men are building a barricade but it is not enough..." Guilt flooded Martha's chest and made a lump in her throat.

"Maria I'm so sorry. I didn't think."

"We have to hide Martha Jones," somebody shouted. Maria nodded furiously.

"Yes, quickly. We have a cellar, you can hide in there."

"No," Martha protested. "I'll just go out the front, I'll be fine. It'll be safer for all of us if I just leave."

"Matthew said the house has been surrounded. You must hurry the streets are crawling with the Master's men. Peter, show her the way."

"Yes Mama," said the younger son. Maria scooped up a young child and passed her to Martha.

"Take the little ones with you. As soon as they have gone you must go, Martha Jones, it is no longer safe."

"Thank you Maria," said Martha.

"Don't thank me, hurry!" Peter showed Martha a trapdoor concealed under a mat and she- along with five or six children, climbed down the cold wooden steps. Martha's heart quickened as she heard cries and shouts- and then a gunshot. She prayed and prayed nobody in that house were hurt, they had all helped her so much.

Once down in the cellar, Martha found some wind up torches and was able to see the bare room around her- and the scared, pale faces of the six children with her. "It'll be ok," she said, a blind meaningless promise. "Look, I'll tell you a story. Anything you want." The eldest child there, a delicate boy of around nine spoke in hesitant, unsure English. "Who was that... lady you came with?" Martha's heart sank, but she had made her promise.

"Her name was Rose Tyler."

_A jolt of shock coursed through Martha's body as she saw the man she loved shudder and trash on the floor as his face twisted and aged rapidly. She felt nausea rise inside her and swallowed. She bitterly noticed that the Master- though it pained her to call him that- was laughing. On the contrary, Rose was looking appalled. _

"_Master," she said, her voice husky, a little, unsure laugh punctuating the end of her sentence. "Master, you said you wouldn't hurt him."_

"_He lied Rose," said the Doctor his voice hoarse and old. With a cry, Martha dropped to her knees and grabbed his hands in hers._

_"I got you," she whispered. He raised his bowed head and stared into her eyes. Her stomach knotted, and she realised his eyes, his deep brown, beautiful eyes had stayed the same. Bright, gleaming and- dare she admit it- frightened. And angry._

_Rose's eyes darted from the Doctor to the Master in anguish. "Master?" He didn't respond. A tear trickled down her pale cheek; smudging the smoky eye make-up the Master had made her wear. Martha shifted; feeling the weight of the teleport Jack had given her dig into her skin. _

"_Aw, she's a would be doctor," said the Master's voice behind her. "And we've flown them in all the way from prison!" Martha would have stood up in fury as her family- minus Leo- were escorted in, if not for the cool, soothing hand on her wrist._

"_Mum!" she yelped._

"_I'm so sorry," sobbed Francine. The Doctor kissed her knuckle gently and tipped his head forward, resting his lips against her ear. That was when he whispered the plan into her ear, the bizarre, out of this world plan. And all she could do was nod. When he was done he withdrew his lips from the side of her head, and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I love you," he told her. She couldn't bring herself to reply. Her throat was too tight._

"_Master," begged Rose. "Master what about the rise of Gallifrey? What about us four being the rulers of everything? What happened to-"_

"_Ok, ok," said the Master, raising his hands above his head. "I admit it- anything to shut her up. I lied! I, the Master, the ruler of the earth, lied to Rose Tyler. There was never going to be a way to resurrect Gallifrey. There was never going to be a glorious leadership of the two couples, your husband pisses me off and he hates me."_

"_What?" Rose began to cry, and the Master rubbed his temples angrily._

"_Oh come on. Are you serious? Don't tell me you thought I actually cared. Oh Rose. My sweet, young, human Rose." The words, the very words that used to mean so much, were patronising sentiments for a child when uttered in his deceiving tone. "You were just a useful tool. A tool to get through to the Doctor. And let me tell you now, useful though you were, there was never anything more."_

"_But you promise-"_

"_I told you I was lying, can we move on?" said the Master in a mock sweet voice. Rose's sobs became louder and more persistent. Martha tried to ignore her, just as she was trying to ignore the jabbing feeling that this could easily be the last time she ever saw the Doctor, her family. She stood up on shaky legs. She took one more look at her mother. Her father. Jack. And the Doctor._

_And just as she was about to teleport away, she felt a strong grip on her arm._

_The next thing she knew she was standing in a field, clutching at her ribs and turning a confused eye at the figure beside her. "Rose?" The girl was huddled, snivelling, on the floor. "Rose!"_

"_What have I done?" she gasped. "What have I..."_

"_Rose," said Martha, keeping her voice level and steady. "Rose the Doctor told me what to do. He told me how to defeat the Master-"_

"_But..."_

_"Rose, the Master lied to you," she said, crouching down beside her. "He lied so much and I know that without even knowing what he told you to do, or told you to believe, but the Doctor told me what to do and you can help me."_

_"But... but you don't understand..." sobbed Rose. "He got in my head I can't help it; I tried to kill you Martha and I'm sorry I really am sorry."_

_"This is what we're going to do," said Martha. "We're going into town and we're finding somewhere to stay for the night and we're going to start doing what the Doctor told me to do."_

"_What?" Martha began to walk determinedly away, and sure enough, heard Rose's feet hurrying up behind her. "Martha wait!" she caught up. "Where are we going?"_

"_Everywhere."_

The Master pushed the double doors open and strode confidently into the room. "Hello everyone!" he beamed. "Sorry to keep you waiting." There were about half a dozen senior soldiers dressed in unfamiliar uniforms sat round the table, eyeing Tish- clad in her hateful maid's costume- tending to the Doctor with wide eyes. The Master took his place at the head of the table and leant forward, surveying the room. "Now tell me what you've got on Martha Jones."

It had been two weeks since the day that the Master seized control of planet earth, and no sign of Martha or Rose for that matter. The Doctor took this as a sign that his love was doing as he asked her, keeping to the shadows, out of the radar. Keeping herself safe. Francine had taken rather more of a morbid view on this development, crying herself to sleep every night.

One of the uniformed men stood up, a thick, greasy slab of a man, with a shiny bald head and narrow eyes. "Nothing as such but..."

"Less of the buts Lenny," said the Master, striding up and down the head of the table. "I want to know the facts."

"We have confirmed sightings of Rose Tyler, Master," said Leonard, twisting his short fingers together. The man froze.

"Interesting," he said, his voice cool and quiet. "Continue."

"She was sighted by three informants," said Lenny. "In France. And later we recovered... the remains of a body. It's in the process of being identified now but we're pretty sure it's her." The Master remained silent, all of the men looking at him anxiously.

"This," he said, looking down at the ground quietly. "This is... great!" He grinned toothily. "Oi Doctor! Francine wheel him over here. Now!" Francine rubbed her hands on the front of her apron before hurriedly pushing the Doctor across to the table where the men were all sat. He looked at them with dull tired eyes. The Master looked down at him. "Doctor," he crooned softly. "Did you hear what I just said? Rose Tyler is dead. How does that make you feel?" The Doctor answered his question with another.

"Where's Martha?" he muttered. Francine's eye darted up in recognition.

"Who cares!" laughed the Master. "Don't you want me to tell you how your wife died?" The Doctor stared at him with intense eyes.

"Do you know where she is?"

"No," he scoffed. "And frankly, we don't care. She hasn't caused any trouble and won't."

"If you really think that," said the Doctor, slowly, seriously. "Then why are you searching for her?"

"You know what I'm going to tell you anyway," said the Master. "Well, my soldiers were doing door to door searches for Rose Tyler..."

Martha started as she heard another gunshot fire from upstairs. "Oh my..." she stifled the exclamation; mindful of the children huddled beside her. The child on her lap stiffened, his voice rising in anxiety. "Mama?"

"Ssh," Martha said desperately. "Look... it'll be ok."

"Mama," the boy began to wail a stream of long rapid French, the others joining in. Even the eldest began to look a bit wobbly, and more gunshots began to follow. Martha shuddered as she heard a scream. "Oh God no," she whispered. Surely these people, these near strangers had not been prepared to die for her. Surely she wasn't that important. Guilt racked through her, and she made her decision.

"You have to stay here," she said to the children. "Promise me."

"Martha," said the oldest boy, thin tears sliding down his pale face. "Martha is it true? Are you going to kill the Master? Can you do it? Please?" Martha knelt down before him, gently taking his small hands in hers.

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"Nathan."

"Nathan," she said. "We're going to beat him. Do you understand. We're going to win."

"But how?" he sobbed.

"Just tell everybody about me," she said. "And the Doctor. Because he will safe us."

"Do you promise me," he said blinking back tears.

Martha couldn't answer him.

"Just stay here," she said. "Goodbye Nathan."

"Goodbye Martha," he said. She nodded at him and walked up the stairs cautiously lifting the trapdoor a couple of inches, peering into the room. The room was strewn with two corpses. One of which was Maria's. For now. In the middle of the room stood two soldiers.

"We don't know she's in this house," said one of the soldiers.

"The informant said she was here," said the youngest of the pair.

"Well you shouldn't have killed her then," snapped the older, gesturing at Maria angrily. Martha's heart sank, and her eyes clouded in disbelief. Maria couldn't have...

"Sir," another soldier scurried into the room. "We've recovered a body. We think it's Miss Tyler's."

"Right," said the older soldier. "C'mon. We're gonna do a door-to-door search. See if we can't find ourselves a miss Martha Jones." The three soldiers left the room.

Martha, shaking a little in compressed anger, dropped back into the cellar. "Nathan," she said. "Is your Mama's name Maria."

"Yes," he said. "Why?" Martha felt tears boiling up in her eyes, but refused to let them fall.

"I'm sorry," she said taking the small boys hand. "Come with me."

And they ran. Away from the street, away from the town. Away from the soldiers, Martha holding onto the nine year old all the way. She couldn't leave him there, couldn't bear to let him come across his mother's corpse. But how could Maria turn her in like that?

"Are we there let?" asked the boy.

"No."

It was hard to believe how much had happened in one day. Early in the morning the pair of them- Martha and Rose- had managed to do what Martha had been planning for days. They had spung open the prisoners of a concentration camp for those who the master believed had felt threatened by- that was where they met Maria. That was also where Rose had taken a bullet. Despite Martha trying desperately to revive her, she had died later, at Maria's house.

And then, Maria had turned her in, and that hurt just thinking about it.

It was getting dark and, more to the point, freezing cold. Martha picked up the boy and scanned the area for a building, any building. But they were in the countryside now and there was nowhere to shelter. She didn't know what to do.

"Doctor," she sighed. "Where are you when I need you most?"

III

The Doctor looked down at the earth, imagining Martha on it, somewhere, doing what she did best.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm so, so sorry." And a tear trailed down his cheek.


	25. The year that never was II

Martha shivered slightly. It was the dead of night, dark and silent. Nathan had fallen asleep in her arms, a dead weight slowing her down. She was tired and her bones ached. Twice a pair of toclafane- they nearly always travelled in pairs- flew over her and both times she stiffened in fear, but they ignored her. For the thousandth she thanked the key slung round her neck, and thanked the man who gave it to her.

Nathan stirred in her arms and lifted his head slightly. "Mama?" Martha's heart twisted in her chest.

"I'm sorry darling," she said quietly. He began to cry in earnest, and Martha struggled to keep him in his arms. She was a small, light woman and he was a tall gangly nine-year-old boy far too old to be carried around. Martha sighed and laid him down on the ground, sitting beside him. "It'll be all right," she told him.

"How do you know?" the boy sniffed. Martha wrapped an arm around him shoulders, pulling him into a one armed embrace.

"There's this man," she began.

III

Martha felt something tickling her skin. She moaned. "Doctor..." Her eyes snapped open when she remembered where she was, fear twisting inside her. It was light now, and this light allowed her to see a young, fit looking man standing in front of her. Martha jumped up, causing Nathan to cry out as he was awakened.

"Martha..."

"Who are you?" Martha demanded of the man. "Err... Vous êtes qui?"

"My names Luke Heasell," said the man. Martha was surprised by his British accent. "And you must be Martha Jones." Martha warily shook his outstretched hand.

"Who do you work for?" she asked. "And how do you know who I am?"

"Not the Master," he assured her. "And everybody knows who you are. I'm part of the French underground. And I want to help you."

III

When the Doctor woke up it was to a violent shaking of his arm and a voice shouting in his ear. "Doctor! Doctor! I've got a surprise for you!" The Doctor opened his old eyes to meet the Masters.

"Leave me alone," he muttered, turning his head away. The Master snarled and grabbed the other Time Lord by the chin and twisted.

"You will listen to me," he growled. The Doctor looked over his shoulder; Tish was stood, frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide and scared. He attempted a small reassuring smile at her but she didn't acknowledge the gesture. Then he realised she wasn't worried about his wellbeing- not this time- she was looking somewhere else. The Master noticed his puzzlement and a sadistic grin toyed at his features. "C'mon gramps," he said, grabbing hold of his chair and wheeling him towards the tables. His hearts beat in his chest as he saw a body bag sprawled across the table. His gaze darted to Tish.

"Martha?" the name choked in his throat, the Master's smile faltered.

"Wrong bitch, Doctor," he said, making to unzip the bag. A pale hand felt out, charred and burnt. The Doctor looked at the remains, and his eyes dropped.

"Rose," he said.

"Yeah, your wife, Doctor," said the Master, his eyes tracing over the Doctor's posture. "Does it hurt?"

The Doctor was silent. The Master smirked. "I'll leave you with your wife," he said. "Let it sink in." He strode away, shouting for his own wife. The Doctor felt a soft touch on his shoulder, the first not violent touch his had felt in the last month.

"I'm really sorry." It was Tish, a gentle hand rubbing up and down his arm. "You don't have to hold it in, Doctor."

"I didn't love her," he said, staring through the body on the table as if he couldn't see it. "I mean... I haven't. Not for a long time." Tish sat down beside the older man, transfixed by what he was saying.

"Did you love... my sister?" The Doctor smiled. It made his cheek muscles hurt.

"More than anything," he said. Tish looked out the window, imagining her little sister down there on her own. She shuddered, and instinctively took the Doctor's hand. He looked at her and smiled. "I can tell you're related," he said.

"You're the only one," she smirked.

"How do you mean?" asked the Doctor. Tish bit her lip.

"Well Martha's always been the smart one. She's wanted to be a doctor ever since she was four, and she got it, or nearly has. She's the responsible one, the one that's been holding our family together since my Dad left Mum when I was twelve. She's the brave one, the one walking the earth for us all right now, and she's always been the sensible one. I mean growing up, I had boyfriends, she had homework buddies. I was out partying, she was in studying. She's the med student; I'm the airhead who managed to get a job by hitting on the boss..." The Doctor chuckled. "What?"

"Tish," he said. "You're brave, just like Martha. You've answered back to the Master more than once, let me tell you now it takes guts. You're protecting and reassuring your family behind the Master's back, just like Martha held you all together during another difficult time. You're more like her than you know Tish."

"Thanks," she said. "I- I can tell why she likes you. If we ever get through all this alive, I'd like to get to know you and Martha better as a couple."

"I'd like that."

"Me too." Tish hesitated. "We will get through this won't we Doctor? Because..." A tear leaked from Tish's eye. "I don't know how much more of this I can take." And the Doctor held her as she cried.

III

Martha stood in the makeshift kitchen quietly washing up the dirty plates and such. She took comfort in this simple act, remembering the days when she was a kid and her Mum would have a cloth and tell her to dry while she washed. The little chats they had in a rare moment on peace in the otherwise busy, frantic Jones household.

"You don't have to do that, you know." Martha turned to see Luke standing right behind her.

"I want to," she said. "I'm the guest." He smiled.

"You're single-handedly saving the planet," he said. "You're nobody's guest, Martha Jones." He paused. "Is it true, what you said back then? About you're... boyfriend?"

"The Doctor?"

"He's a lucky man," Luke said. "To have someone care about him so much she'd leave everything behind and walk the world for him."

"It's not all for him," she said. "It's for all of you as well. Did you really mean it? About being able to transport me everywhere?"

"We've got friends in high places with the Master," nodded Luke. Martha had learnt that there was an intricate web of underground civilians quietly fighting against the Master. It had touched her heart to find they had their organisation after her- the Martha dream.

"So you can really help me travel across Europe," she pushed.

"Sure. We got supporters with registered vehicles and a right to drive them. Do you know how many people are in this branch of the underground Martha? How many people listened to your story?" Martha shook her head. "Four hundred and fifty. Four hundred and fifty people spreading the word right now. First thing tomorrow we're sending out people to tell the other branches in the country that you are real and not just a legend. Everybody's going to tell everybody at the labour camps tomorrow. By the end of the day the whole of France will know. And then it'll spread. I promise you Martha, this mission your Doctor's sent you on, it won't fail." Martha was humbled by the man's severity, and on an impulse pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you Luke," she said. "It makes it all worth it when people like you turn up."

"God bless you Martha Jones," he said.

III Nine months later III

"We almost had her again today Doctor," the Master spun the time lord round in his chair. "Your girlfriend's getting careless."

Silence.

"Oh come on. It really was close this time. A group of soldiers surrounded the house she was staying in. Of course we gave the other people a chance to hand over Martha Jones but do you know what..." The Master smirked. "She wouldn't come! She allowed thirty-two lives to be terminated and slipped away. Tell me Doctor, are you proud of your favourite human?"

III

Martha listened to the shouts and demands outside the house.

"Martha Jones come out!"

"You have twenty seconds to make your way into the street!"

"I should go out," she whispered. "I've had a good run so far. I don't want anybody hurt."

"No! You can't!"

"I'm sorry."

"10! 9! 8!"

Martha took in a deep breath and began to walk determinedly though the crowd. Hands grabbed onto hers, comforting touches on her arm, pleads for her to stay. She brushed them all off. The house was in Japan; in the last nine months she had made her way across the whole of Europe and ventured into Asia. They had known about her before her arrival and they had all been so protective of their savour. But it looked like the game was up.

"4! 3! 2!" Martha rested her hand on the door, only to find it being pulled away. She opened her mouth to speak. "I-"

"They will never," said one of the residents of the house, fixing Martha was a passionate gaze. "Get hold of the one thing keeping us going." And he charged.

"NO!" shouted Martha, trying to push her way out the door. But Beniko- a strong nineteen year old man- grabbed her round the waist and pulled her back and more and more of the Japanese people swarmed through the door in an attempt to protect _her_. Nine months of similar situations and she still hated it.

"Please!" she screamed. "Stop!" But her shouts and pleas were mingled with a hundred others and the Master's soldiers and the toclafane overwhelmed them. She looked round in horror, trapped in the doorway by the strong arms restraining her. "Please let me go," she whispered, as it all went quiet.

"I'm sorry Martha," said Beniko, gently releasing her waist. She turned, pain visible on her face.

"You didn't have to do that... oh God people died..." His face crumpled but no tears came.

"I'm so so sorry," he choked. Martha cried out as her arms were yanked behind her back and fastened there with thick rope that bit viciously into her wrists. More hands grabbed at her, turning out her pockets and yanking at her face.

"It's defiantly her," said a voice. A bright light flashed before her eyes as a camera was shoved in her face.

"Here's your food kid," said another man giving Benito a large bag bursting at the seams. "Nice one." Martha's head was spinning.

"No don't!" she cried as a large tranquiliser gun was produced. "No! Don't you dare! Don't you... dare." Martha Jones closed her eyes.

III

When she opened them she was on a crude metal bunk bed with itchy sheets and a flat pillow. Disorientated, she sat up quickly in bed; her head spun. Then she started. The room was filled with people. People will thin wasted faces and dull eyes all trained on her. Swallowing nervously, Martha spoke.

"Where am I?"

III

Tish Jones stood nervously outside of the Master's bedroom balancing two breakfast trays in her hands. She was about to knock firmly on the door when she had heard her little sister's names spoken down a telephone and was frozen outside, listening to the conversation.

"Now listen to me," the Master was snarling. "I don't know what you think gives you the right to bargain with me but... don't you dare interrupt me!" A pause. "I'm not interested in Martha Jones. I don't care that she's in your labour camp because I could tear it to the ground as easily as you could paper. You won't get anything from me." Another pause. "I'm done talking." Tish listened with bated breath and was able to make out the clicks as the Master dialled another number.

"Yeah hi," he barked. "I'm getting bored of this. We're gunna do it Mike. Japan is gunna burn."

"Oh my God..." Tish couldn't help the exclamation slipping from her lips, and her heart raced as she heard unmistakable footsteps advancing towards the door.

"Letetia," he smiled. "You haven't been spying on me have you?"

"No... I?" The Master grabbed her wrist, the breakfast crashed to the floor.

"Pick it up!" he shouted, throwing her to the floor like a rag doll. She screamed.

"Let go of her!" Francine launched herself at the Master and he yelled out for security. They pulled the angry mother away from the ruffled Time Lord and the shocked young woman on the floor. The Master walked away in disgust.

"Tish," sobbed Francine, tugging her arm away from the security guard and dropping down on the floor beside her daughter. "Tish did he hurt you."

"Mum I need to talk to the Doctor," she said. "He's going to burn Japan. And that's where Martha is."

III

It had become a routine. A day of hard, excruciating labour, followed by all of the inmates coming round her to listen to her stories. Two weeks now, and she was already numb. She was tired all the time, struggling to find rest and sleep with all the traumatic events playing out in her dreams nightly. Without fail.

"I don't know if I can manage it tonight," she said as she lay in her bed, every bone in her body aching. Dull eyes still fixed on her.

"Come on. Just one," said a lone voice. Suddenly, with the turning of a key, the silhouette of a man was cast against the door.

"Martha Jones?" it said. "I'm here to save you."


	26. The year that never was III

**I think the end to this story may be in sight... just a few more chapters although not sure quite where I'm going to end it yet! As always thanks for reading and reviewing!**

The man was small and slight making it easy for Martha to keep up with him as he strode determinedly across the bleak concrete of the labour camp. "But we can't just walk out of here we'll be stopped before we get out of the complex."

"Not me," said the man, flashing her his id.

"You work here? Then why are you helping me?" Martha halted. "You're not handing me in to the Master are you?"

"No," he chuckled. "I'm saving you."

"Yeah you already said that," said Martha crossly. "Where are you trying to take me?"

"Tell you what Martha savour of the earth Jones," the man replied with an annoying, self-assured smirk. "We'll leave the camp and spend the night in the woods right outside it and I'll fill you in. Sound ok?" Toying with the notion, Martha looked at him appraisingly.

"Fine. But if you've got any brilliant ideas about abducting me back to the valiant..."

"Trust me! I want to help you!"

"I said fine." They continued to walk in broody silence until they reached the high metal gate. Without a word the man scanned his ID and the gate opened smoothly. Martha raised an eyebrow. "It's really that easy to get out?"

"It's not gates or fences that keep everybody in," said the man inserting his id to open the second and final gate. "It's fear." Martha ignored him.

"If it's that easy to get out why not just let the whole of the camp go free!" she said.

"No-"

"Think about it... you've seen it they're dying from infection and overwork and tiredness and we could stop that."

"Listen to me Martha," the stranger shook his head. "We just can't."

"But why not?"

"I promise I'll explain everything, Martha. Now come on." Martha gritted her teeth, but followed him nonetheless.

"So come on then," she demanded as they sat in the woods, minutes later. "Tell me what's going on. What's your name to begin with?"

"Uh Aki," said the man. "My names Aki."

"And..."

"Can this wait?"

"No."

"Fine," he sighed. "Do you even know why you were in that camp?" Martha shook her head. "You were there because my boss reckoned he could use you as a bargaining tool."

"With the Master?"

"Who else?"

"And your boss is the welsh bloke who runs the labour camp."

"Yeah."

"So did the Master... accept?"

"No," he shook his head, smiling. "Course not."

"Then what are you 'saving' me from?" Aki slumped visibly.

"My brother is on the valiant," he said. "Me and him have been trying to take down the Master from the inside. "I got a message from him this morning. It's bad news." Martha felt sick, her heart pounded and her head throbbed.

"Oh God... are my family ok? The Doctor... Jack?"

"Everybody's ok," he reassured her quickly. "I promise. "You're the one in danger, Martha."

"I'm always in danger."

"The Master's made plans," he said in hushed tones. "Tomorrow evening, Japan is going to burn."

"What?"

"The Master's been making plans for a long time now," said Aki. "But apparently this whole country's more trouble than it's worth. There are bombs buried in the ground, all across the country and the Master will defuse them simultaneously."

"Then we have to get people out!"

"There's no time."

"Yeah there is you said it yourself we've got a whole day and you know how easy it is to get out of this place."

"Martha, there is one boat leaving the country ten minutes before it happens," said Aki, rubbing his tired eyes. "There is room to hide one person- you."

"But what about all the people? What about you?"

"What about me?" he shrugged. "I'm not important. Not like you."

"So we sacrifice everyone?" He looked down.

"The world can't afford to lose you," he smiled. Martha sighed, and felt the weight of the world crushing down on her shoulders.

"Right," she said, her voice tight. "What's the plan?"

III

Martha and Aki were crouched at the perimeter of the port surveying the bustling throng of people preparing the small boat. "And none of them know," she said, referring to the Master's plans. "They're helping the Master's 'associates' get out of the very thing that's gonna kill them."

"That's the boat over there," said Aki. "That group of people, the ones on the boat, they're on our side."

"So I'm just going to walk straight through," said Martha more to herself than anybody else. She remembered the Doctor's words. Keep to the shadows. Don't run. Don't shout.

"Yeah. Wait by the boat. The tallest man will be the one accompanying you on the boat."

"Right," said Martha.

"Well good luck," said Aki. Martha nodded.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"I know," he said. "You look after yourself."

"I'll try," she said. "Thank you." She walked down into the port avoiding eye contact with everybody. She looked up at the men on the boat and one winked at her.

"It's time," he said. There was a small crowd of four people, three men and one woman awaiting the readiness of the boat. Martha nodded and slipped on the boat, going immediately down below the deck as instructed by the man.

That was when she heard a gunshot.

She hurried back onto the deck. "What the hell is going-"

"LOOK OUT!" Martha felt herself thrown to the floor by the man who was going to take her across on the boat. She gasped, wincing at the faceful of wood. She pressed a hand to her head, and felt blood. "Ach!" The man who had pushed her out of the way of the way of the gunfire exclaimed out in pain and Martha jumped up.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, rolling him onto his front, and gasping out at the hole in his chest. His eyes were rolling back in her skull, blood gushing from him and onto Martha. Without a 'second thought she ripped of the bottom of his shirt and pressed it against the wound. "C'mon, c'mon," she muttered. The blood was still soaking through; it was no use.

Martha looked up in horror and saw similar scenes playing out all around her. Toclafane and soldiers had swarmed into the camp shooting everybody and anybody in sight. "Go Martha go!" Aki was racing towards her, the wind flushing his cheeks, his eyes wild. He untied the small boat and made to push it away.

"Wait!" Martha looked imploringly at the man. "Come with me."

"No point," he said gruffly. "I'm dying anyway."

"What!" Aki lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal a badly bandaged wound gaping across almost his entire stomach. "It's infected," he said grimly. "We don't have any drugs. I might as well stay here and get it over with."

"No..."

"Martha go! You have three minutes! You have to go!"

"Martha Jones!" shouted one of the soldiers. "She's there!" Aki grunted and pushed the boat away.

"Aki!"

"The motor doesn't work!" he shouted. "Row Martha! You have to row!" Martha hesitated. "Bloody hell Martha! Go!"

"Come with me Aki!" she screamed. The boat was drifting further away. "Jump! I can help you! You don't have to die!" Aki turned away; walked into the mass of the dying and the dead. "AKI!" She screamed for him, but the crowd swallowed him up. She gripped hold of the oars, torn.

Then her decision was made for her.

Two of the Master's soldiers were rushing towards her. Guilt twisting her chest, Martha pushed the boat of the side some more and began to row in desperation. Her muscles screamed in agony, her breaths caught in her hoarse throat, but she had to keep going. She rowed and rowed, not turning back to look at the people who had helped her thoughtlessly dying for her.

Then the explosion came, a scorching heat smothering her skin as the whole country was destroyed. Martha felt it before she heard it, a trembling in her body and the heat. Was she going to make it? She continued to row, her entire body shaking uncontrollably, burns and cuts throbbing all over her body. Was she far enough away? Would she be swallowed up by the colossal explosion as well?

And suddenly, all was quiet. Martha stood up in the boat, trembling, coughing. Crying- for the first time in the year. The whole of Japan was encircled in smog of thick smoke making it impossible for her to pick out any shapes. She had no way of knowing how far away she was. Only one action made any sense, to keep going and going until she reached somewhere, anywhere. But her trembling limbs struggled to keep hold of the oars and they dropped to the bottom of the boat. A strange feeling of hopelessness washed over Martha, and all she wanted to do was touch the Doctor's face one more time.

Instead, she dragged herself below deck, and passed out.

III

Katherine Mitchell was sat by the waterside, fishing for food for her five children when she saw the shape cast against the horizon. She narrowed her eyes, placing down the rod gently as she tried to make out what was coming towards her. "Marc!" she shouted. Her husband came out of the hut, a gun strapped to his back.

"What is it?" he asked. Katherine pointed.

"I think it could be some kind of boat."

"Yeah it is, and there's somebody rowing it."

"Do you think it's..." she let her words hang, unspoken in the air. They shared a significant glance, remembering the countless soldiers who had come in on the boats to inflict as much harm on the town as possible. Marc took hold of his gun in one sweeping motion and pointed it at the boat.

"Ssh," he said. "Wait to see who it is."

"It's a woman," said Katherine after a pause. Marc raised his voice.

"Who is it? Don't you come any closer!" A voice rang out in reply.

"I'm not going to hurt anybody!"

"Who are you working for?"

"Nobody. My name's Martha, I've come from Japan. Please, I've been rowing for days." Marc nodded at Katherine.

"Come on in," she said. The woman seemed relieved and as she bought the boat in, Katherine studied her. She had dark skin and hair, and was small and slight, dressed in combats. She flashed a weary smiled, and Katherine got the sudden impression she had seen so many horrors in the last few months. "What did you say your name was?"

"Martha," she said. "Martha Jones."

"Marc!" exclaimed Katherine. "You pointed a gun at Martha Jones!"

"You told me to!" he replied. Martha smiled in bewilderment as Katherine wrapped a friendly arm around her.

"You can stay with us tonight. We've got ourselves a little hut haven't we Marc? Oh and you can meet the kids Martha, they'll be thrilled, we've all heard the stories of course." Marc broke in.

"Is it true?" he asked. "Can you do it? Can you kill the Master?"

"Oh don't go asking her questions like that Marc," Katherine rolled her eyes. "You're freezing Martha do you want something hot to drink?"

"That would be amazing," she nodded gladly. "But first, can you tell me where I am?"

"You're in San Francisco Martha," said Marc. "Welcome to America!"

III2 MONTHS LATERIII

Exactly two months after Katherine and Marc had greeted the boat from Japan to America, Thomas Milligan stood, holding a flickering lamp, on a cold English beach, waiting. Waiting for the one and only Martha Jones. Butterflies leapt in his stomach as he anticipated the legend's arrival. He wondered what she's look like, if this fame had gone to her head. The shape in the distance got closer and more defined, until the small figure of one Martha Jones ran out of the boat and towards him. She looked him up and down. "What's your name then?"

"Tom Milligan. No need to ask who you are, the famous Martha Jones." No smile at the mention of her legendary reputation. He pressed on. "How long since you've been in Britain?"

"365 days," she said. "It's been a long year."

III

Martha stood by her family, her chest heaving.

"This is UNIT speaking, what's going on up there? We just saw the president murdered!"

"You see," said the Doctor. "Just after the president was killed, just before the spheres came. Everything back to normal. Planet earth restored. The rockets, the terror. It never was." Martha listened, drinking in the Doctor's face, the way his mouth moved, his eyes darted. All she wanted to do was run over and take him in her arms and never let go. He caught her eye a couple of times and then her attention drifted to somebody walking silently out of one the doors.

"Doctor!" He looked at her, followed her gaze. He hesitated. "Rose!"


	27. Recovery

**As always thanks for the reviews and feedbacks!**

"Does that hurt?"

"No."

"Martha?"

"Fine. Just a little."

"Hmm. What about that?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure Doctor is this really necessary?"

"What about this?"

"Ow yes but only if you're gunna press it like that!"

"Sorry. Where did you get those grazes?"

"Um America. I slid a little I think."

"Hmm."

"Doctor stop saying that!" Martha sat up from the bed in the TARDIS's medical bay. "I'm fine, honestly!" She lifted up her hands and gently took off the Doctor's glasses, caressing his cheeks with her calloused hands. He relaxed a little taking her hands in his and stared into her tired eyes, leaning in to kiss her.

"What's the diagnosis, Doc?" Jack grinned as he saw the two of them together. "I didn't interrupt anything did I?"

"Yes," said Martha truthfully. "But don't worry about it. And I'm fine."

"She's undernourished," the Doctor cut in. "And covered in cuts and bruises, but nothing too serious, thank Rassilon. And not to mention she's exhausted."

"But other than that I'm fine," insisted Martha. "You worry too much." Jack smiled fondly at them as the Doctor took her hand in his.

"Well why don't we relocate in the kitchen," he said. "And we can work on the under nourishment issue. _And _you two can tell me what happened with Rose."

"And you can help us work out what to do with her," sighed Martha. All she wanted to do was to have the Doctor all to herself for a few days, feel his closeness after a whole year apart. She needed to touch every inch of his face, hold onto him to reassure herself she was not merely engaged in one of the painfully realistic dreams she had experienced so many times while walking the earth. She sensed the Doctor needed this too, sensed he too had felt the consistent longing to be together again, had felt the crushing in his chest every they woke up apart. A glance at him confirmed this. Jack smiled, and nodded.

"See you in a second. I'll see what Francine's left in the kitchen for us. Oh and Martha," he grinned. "You look great in hospital gowns."

"Back off Jack," shouted the Doctor, as the American hotfooted it out of the room. Martha smiled slightly, and then leaned forward, this time pressing her lips against his. She felt him smile in pleasure and she leant into his embrace.

"C'mon," he said. "Let's get you dressed and we'll have some food."

"God yes," sighed Martha. "That'll be amazing." He didn't smile; already knowing how his decision to exposed her to all that horror would shape and change her as a person. Knowing how all she'd seen, all she'd experienced, would haunt her forever. He hated himself for doing that to her. "Doctor?" She was standing before him, dressed in comfortable trackies, a relief to her throbbing back she hadn't told the Doctor about. He looked at her appreciatively.

"Only you could look sexy in too big trackies."

"Oh you!" He laughed at her blushes and took her hands again. Together they walked through the TARDIS and into the kitchen where Jack was waiting.

"I just put some soup in the microwave," he said. "Chicken, is that ok?"

"Great," said Martha eagerly, sitting down at the table and rubbing her tired eyes. It had been an emotionally exhausting day for all of them, and they knew it.

"So," said Jack, spooning the soup into three large bowls. "Rose."

"Rose," repeated the Doctor. "Where should I start?"

"Tell him what she told you on the valiant," said Martha. Turning to Jack, she explained how the Doctor and Rose had disappeared into one of the offices on the valiant and only emerged an hour or so later, after the Doctor had got the whole story out of her- while he wasn't dodging her clumsy attempts and seduction. The Doctor sighed and leant back.

"The battle of Canary Wharf," he said. "It was going great. Rose and me were great friends, really close, or at least I thought we were at the time. Anyway, things got a bit out of hand, and Rose nearly fell into the void. However, at the last moment, a force field was cast and Rose fell against that instead. It saved her life. At the time I was so relived she was ok I didn't question how it had happened, the force field I mean." He took a spoonful of the soup. "Then, Rose suddenly declared her love for me, said we would get married. I protested and she collapsed into tears, I fled to the TARDIS."

"Wait, why did she suddenly propose like that," asked Jack.

"At some point that day, when me and Rose were apart the Master, who had just arrived from the future in the TARDIS saw Rose, and knowing she wasn't there when us when we met Yana at the end of the universe, told her about how she'd be separated from me soon, and it was up to her to prevent it. She asked how, he said by proposing, assuring her I loved her and would agree to it eventually. He knew then that we'd be together permanently and could use her to get to me."

"A marriage to a Time Lord has to be permanent," cut in Martha. "Or else the TARDIS burns from the inside out."

"Exactly," nodded the Doctor. "What he did was quite clever really."

"So..." prompted Jack.

"So Rose ran back to him," the Doctor raked a hand through his hair. "She trusted him just like that he's got an effect on people in that way I suppose. He told her not to panic, filled her with lies about the 'rise of Gallifrey'. He said that we'd rule the universe, him and Lucy, Rose and me. Obviously she loved the idea. Then he knocked me out, telepathically of course. I woke up not even realising I'd been out. In this time, the Master had established a telepathic connection with Rose, making him able to read her thoughts and see what was going on through her eyes. He's also used the TARDIS- which he had stolen from us- to take her to the end of the universe, to show her what humanity would become. When I woke up, I had been subtly hypnotised."

"Da da da da," said Jack, drumming his fingers on the table.

"Yeah. I found myself marrying Rose and for about three days, I was happy. Then the effects wore off and I realised what I had done, the stupid, ignorant bastard I was-"

"Then we met," said Martha, resting a calming hand on his clenched fist.

"And as Martha and I got closer, Rose got more and more-"

"Crazy," finished Martha. "She's alternate from moody and unresponsive, to clingy and possessive, to screaming and hurling abuse at us. I walked in on her having some sort of panic attack. I know now she was begging the Master to let her go, his presence in her head 24/7 was too much for anybody to handle."

"The Master was getting bored by this point," said the Doctor. "He was testing her, seeing how much a fragile human mind could take. Then he gave her another... 'Mission' for lack of a better word. He wanted Martha out the way. He told Rose it was because she was distracting me from her, but I think he saw how close we were and recognised that when his plan came together and we'd be on the valiant, Martha would be the one I'd trust to do something like walk the earth, although obviously he didn't know quite what we going to do. Basically, he wanted Martha out the way, and Rose tried almost everything."

"But what about the family?" asked Martha. "2013. How does that all fit in?"

"He realised Rose wasn't capable of murder," said the Doctor. "But she was capable of getting somebody else to do it for her. The family followed the TARDIS with a vortex manipulator with intentions of killing Martha, and taking Rose back and me to the Master. So I became human and stored my Time Lord self in a fob watch, which I gave to Martha, and we settled down as two teachers in a school in 2013. Rose got a position as a dinner lady, I think." Martha sighed quietly as she remembered the way John Smith had got himself involved in affairs with seemingly every woman in the school, other than herself.

"After a couple of months, the watch got opened, we escaped and Rose returned to the Master. Martha and I travelled a bit, then met you, and you know the rest."

"Let me get this straight," said Jack slowly. "The Master told Rose that she would marry you and it would mean the rise of Gallifrey, and she believed him and was prepared to kill people for this man she had just met."

"Yeah," groaned the Doctor. Martha clutched at his arm.

"But Doctor! You're still married to her! She won't get a divorce now, you've seen the state she's in."

"No, but divorce isn't the only was a marriage can end," he said.

"What?"

"After Rose had been killed," he said. "They showed me the body, thought I'd fall apart over it or something. Anyway, your sister helped me drag her body to the TARDIS in the middle of the night and she saw Rose was dead, therefore allowing the separation."

"But I thought she was a paradox machine," said Jack.

"Nothing can destroy the TARDIS's very basic programming," he explained. "I am a free man!"

"So that's it," Martha smiled. "Mystery over, marriage over, earth restored."

"Almost," he said. "What do we do about Rose?" They sat in silence for a few seconds, when Martha's phone began to ring. She blinked in surprise, and fumbled in her pocket.

"Mum, hi," she said, getting up and leaving the room.

"Just to tell you we're all home," she said. "When are you coming out of that box to have a proper family reunion?"

"Soon Mum, I promise," she said. "There are just a few things me and the Doctor have to sort out first."

"Oh really," she said, her tone sceptically. "Like what?"

"Just stuff, Mum, you really don't want to know." There was silence at the other end of the phone. Martha sighed. "I'm sorry Mum. How... how are you?"

"Fine thanks," she said tightly. "Listen we need to talk Martha. About you and that man."

"That man saved everybody's lives, Mum. Without him-"

"Martha are you sleeping with him?"

"Yes."

"Martha!"

"Well you asked! I'm 23, I love him, he loves me-"

"He cried over the Master's body!" it all came out in a burst of emotion. "He saw what that monster did and he still... Martha you don't understand how evil he was! You weren't there, were you? You don't understand""

"I do," she said sadly. "I really do."

"I'm sorry," Francine's voice sounded thick. "I didn't mean that. I know you had it just as bad as us... but still Martha..."

"The Doctor and the Master were like brothers," said Martha. "If it was me and Tish who did those evil things, you'd still cry if we died, wouldn't you Mum? The Doctor hated him, he wanted to beat him just as much as the rest of us, but he was the only link the Doctor had to his planet, and now it's gone. He's alone again."

"He's got you," said Francine hesitantly.

"I suppose. I'll see you later Mum."

"Bye, Martha. Love you."

"Love you too." Martha dropped the phone, and her chest tightened in pain, as the face of all the people who had died flashed across her minds eyes. All the things she had seen, the pain, the suffering and the bitter loss came flooding back, and suddenly the Doctor was there.

"Is everything ok?" he asked softly. Martha nodded.

"She just wanted to know if we were sleeping together."

"Oh."

"I said yes." He smiled, and embraced her. She pressed her face against his chest, and felt tears cascading down her cheek. She let out a gasp and the Doctor held onto her tightly as all the tears she had held in over the year burst out. "They didn't die," she whispered. "Everybody's still ok, but I can still remember."

"I know," he whispered. "I'm so sorry." She kissed him passionately, her hands snaking round his neck to decrease the space between them.

"I love you," she told him. He took her face in his hands.

"Martha Jones," he said. "I love you too."

III

The Doctor hardly ever slept, and when he did it was always dreamless. But not tonight. His mind was haunted was visions of the war, all those years ago. Visions of the year he had spent with Martha's family, the terrible repetitively of the whole thing. Visions of Martha walking the earth, pieced together from the snippets he had picked up from her thoughtless comments. And visions of the Master dying in his arms. His eyes snapped open, and he was shocked to find his cheeks wet with tears.

Panic flared in his chest and he fumbled beside him in the bed to make sure Martha was still there, beside him. He felt her warm, small body curled beneath the covers and wondered how something fragile and tiny had managed to withstand so much. Switching on the bedside lamp he groaned softly and rubbed the sweat from his wild eyes. His skin prickled oddly, and that was when he remembered he wasn't in the TARDIS anymore. He was staying at Francine's along with the rest of the family, to recover together. But he couldn't rest, couldn't recover, until 'the Rose issue' was sorted.

The Doctor tensed as Martha's breathing suddenly quickened and she cried out in her sleep. "Martha," he said gently shaking her. "Martha, wake up! Martha!"

"Doctor!" she yelped, sitting up. He held her close to him and she shuddered and sobbed into his chest.

"Bad dream?" he asked rubbing her back as he felt her nod against him. "Yeah," her voice shook. "I was... running. There were this man in Russia; he was a Dad of five, all under twelve. His wife was dying when I got there, it was so stupid it was just an infection and I'm almost a doctor I should be able to handle it but there was no medicine..." The Doctor didn't try to fill in the gaps in her account with meaningless words; this was the first time she'd really opened up about all she had gone through. "And she died," she said racked with irrational guilt. "Her husband, Avel he was called, wanted to get his kids to Japan, there were stories of rebellions, a safer place. We went together, but we didn't make it out the country. Every single on died, Doctor, one by one. One by toclafane, two by soldiers, one... drowned. That was the worst. She was two years old." The Doctor could almost feel her breaking apart in his arms.

"They're fine, Martha. Alive, all six of them. And so's everyone else. It's all fine."

"I know that," she said. "But I can't quite... it's been a long year. I can't believe it's just been undone, just like that. It's going to be hard to accept."

"I know," he said, releasing her from the hug and wiping her tears with his thumb. She smiled weakly.

"You've been crying," she said, her voice startled. He nodded.

"Bad dream," he shrugged. "What time is it?"

"Four o'clock," she said. "I'm not going to be able to sleep."

"Me neither," he confessed. "Shall we get up?" Martha shrugged, still a little teary.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed. "You must think I'm..."

"A hero," he finished. She just shook her head.

"I was just there," she said. "Anyone else would have done the same."

"I don't believe that," he said, then made a decision. "C'mon."

"What?"

"Come on. Get dressed. I've got an idea."

III

"I'm off to work honey! Kids!" Avel surveyed the sleepy scene of his family sat round the breakfast table. His young wife looked up at him and smiled.

"Have a good day," she said. The five kids all nodded at him, their eyes dropped with sleep.

"Bye Dad." Smiling, Avel kissed each member of his family, and began to collect his keys, his glasses from various places around the house. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flicker of motion and for a second fancied he saw a young couple reflected in the mirror. Then he smiled at his paranoia, and left.

Martha Jones let out a sigh, staring at the door the man who had Avel her life in the year had just exited. "Thank you," she said to the tall man at her side. The Doctor squeezed her hand.

"Martha Jones you saved the world."

"I know," she beamed. "So how about we sort out Rose and you can take me on holiday?"

"Deal."

**Next chapter up as soon as I can manage.**


	28. Smith and Jones

**Can't actually believe this story is done! It's been nearly a year and a hell of a long one at that, so thanks for all of you for staying with this and for the reviews, which bowled me over- I, feel so humble. I really hoped you enjoyed it!**

Rose's head jolted up as she heard the door click open. "Jack!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you're back! It's been so long we have so much to talk about." Jack remained silent. She folded her arms defiantly. "You've been talking to Martha haven't you," she said. "Well don't believe what that bitch said none of this shit was my fault." Her voice rose in desperation and she paced towards the man.

"Sit down, Rose," said Jack, his voice wary. She took hold of his hand in hers and pressed it to her lips looking up at him, her eyes big and vulnerable.

"You believe me don't you," she said softly. "You remember me, don't you Jack. I wouldn't do anything like that it was my Master he made me!" Her face crumpled. "And now he's dead and I'm not married any more."

"Sit down!" he barked. Rose trembled a little as she sank into her chair, rubbing her face furiously.

"Jack you've got to understand-"

"Who do you think you are," he hissed. "You really don't remember any of it do you."

"I don't know what anybody's talking about, nobody's telling me anything." Her hands rubbed up and down her arms her voice shaky. "The Doctor's avoiding me and I can still hear his voice he's talking to me, he's begging me to save him but he's dead and I don't understand what happened..." Her hands sped up into frenzy her whole body shuddering, her breaths wheezing and catching in her throat as sobs wracked through her body. Jack caught hold of her wrists and held them still.

"The Doctor doesn't know I'm here," he said. "He's put himself through so much and he doesn't deserve people like you disturbing his peace. I want to sort this out for him."

"You don't understand," she whispered, her head dropping. "I. Can. Still. Hear him. He won't leave me alone."

"Can you hear him now?" Rose nodded, her face becoming more distant.

"He's angry at me. I let him down. It's all my fault."

"What do you want to happen Rose?" he asked.

"I want that bitch to go away-"

"Don't talk about Martha like that," warned Jack.

"I just want her to go. I want you to go. I want the Master to go. I want everybody to just go away so I can be alone with the Doctor again."

"That's not going to happen though is it," said Jack. "He loves Martha."

"He doesn't," she said stubbornly. "He can't!" Jack stood up.

"You're not helping yourself," he said pityingly. "Maybe the Doctor was right. Maybe it is too late to save you."

"No Jack! Please, wait!"

"What can you possibly say that would make this any better?"

Rose stalled. "I just..."

"That's what I thought."

"I want to go home, Jack," she wept. "I want to forget everything. I don't recognise myself anymore." Jack sighed, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Fine," he said, sitting down. "Let's sort this out."

III

"Are you sure about this," Martha asked quietly, her thumb tracing gentle patterns on the back of her loves hand. Her sighed, his broody eyes fixed on the door.

"Well Rose is. It's not about what I want, is it."

"This doesn't have to happen now," she said. "There's no rush at all."

"Better sooner than later," he said. A sigh heaved through his body and his rubbed his dark hair from his wild eyes. "I just keep remembering her when we first met, she was so long. So long and naive, 19 years old. And I took her on these adventures and every day I saw her eyes get older and that spark disappear..."

"And none of it was your fault," said Martha softly. "You have to know that."

"Ok," he said. He pressed a kiss to her head. "Ok."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?"

"I'm sure."

"Good luck."

Rose started as the door clicked open. She caught a glimpse of Martha standing nervously in the doorframe, before it swung shut again. "Doctor!"

"Rose," he said, striding towards the girl determinedly. "Are you sure this is what you want."

"What?" she laughed. She took hold of his hand, he snatched it away.

"Are you serious about what you said to Jack, earlier. Don't worry-" he added, seeing her blank face. "Rose... just tell me what you want."

"I want to be with you," she breathed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But I don't want to be with you."

"Doctor!"

"You've got two choices," he said. "You can either go home, to your Mum's, and you will never see me again."

"But I won't be able to live without you!" Rose's eyes burned into his and sparkled with tears. "You have to understand! Without you I am nothing."

"It all boils down to this," he said, ignoring her piercing wails. "You can either go home as you are now. Or we can do what Jack told me you said. We can take away your memory and you can have a second chance. You can go home as the 19 year old girl who didn't believe in time travel."

"I hate that girl," she said stubbornly.

"It's your decision," he replied evenly. She looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"But I don't want to go back to the old Rose," she said. "I don't want to be that girl in the stupid shop with no future... Doctor I don't know what to do."

"I could get you a job," he said. "A good one. There's thing organization. It's called UNIT. It works with extra-terrestrial life forms. I could recommend you for the job. How does that sound?" Rose nodded gently.

"Just do it."

III

Martha jumped up as the Doctor exited the room, rubbing his temples. "Are you ok? Did she..."

"She's sleeping," he said shortly. "I took her memory. How long was I in there?"

"Nearly four hours," a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I was beginning to think you'd gone back to Rose."

"Bloody hell, not you as well."

"Oh come here, you," she sighed, pulling him into a hug. He rested his chin on her head. "It's done," he said, and Martha had never heard him so weary.

"Yeah."

III

Rose blinked awake and was startled to find that she'd been asleep in the first place. Sitting up in her bed she looked around at her familiar bedroom in her Mum's flat. "Mornin' love," Jackie was leaning against her doorframe, toying with a nervous smile.

"Morning," she grunted back. "Am I late for work or something?"

"No," she replied. "You've got a few weeks off, actually." Rose's face fell.

"I've been fired haven't I."

"No, no! Nothing like that love! You really don't remember... I mean..."

"I'm sure you told me last night, Mum, I was just tired, guess I forgot," she smiled. "I'll have a bit of a lie in, if that's all right."

"You do that," Jackie slumped a little in relief and gently closed the door.

"All ok?" the Doctor asked her.

"Seems to be," she replied. "I guess this is goodbye, then."

"It would probably be for the best," he agreed, rocking on the balls of his feet. "But if you need anything don't hesitate to call." Martha, who was standing close beside him, handed over a scrap of paper with a mobile number scrawled on it.

"It's my number," she explained. "He doesn't have a mobile."

"Thanks. Both of you. For everything." She hugged the Doctor, smiled at Martha. "You probably have somewhere to be."

"Good luck," said Martha.

"You too. Bye now." She watched as the alien and the medical student went into their time ship and disappeared.

III

The rest of the day was spent tying up loose ends. The Doctor took Martha to see some of the people who had helped her- or died helping her as he prompted little bits of information about the year from her. He recognised they would be helping one another through the grieving process but whether Martha would actually let him help...

That was another matter.

He knew she was so used to being self sufficient that it was difficult for her to accept his support. And as they sat around Francine Jones's dinner table along with rest of Martha's family picking at a roast chicken he noticed for the first time how the whole family determinedly avoiding saying anything about the Master or indeed any of the events of the last year.

"So Martha," said Francine. "How's this all going to work then?"

"What's there to work?"

"Well you're staying at home and finishing medical school aren't you," she snapped. "How's your new boyfriend going to fit into your life when you go back to normal?"

"Mum," chided Tish.

"We haven't really thought..." Martha looked up at the Doctor nervously.

"You do whatever you want to do," he reassured her. "I'll stand by your decision." She gnawed at her lip. "But we'll talk about it later," he said. "I promise." Francine narrowed her eyes, surprised by the alien's selflessness.

"Her finals aren't for a month and a half," she said, testing him. "You sure you can wait that long?"

"For your daughter, Mrs Jones," he replied, his voice level. "I could wait forever." Tish met her longer sister's eyes and smiled a little enviously. Their mother nodded.

"Please," she said her voice warmer. "Call me Francine."

"Blimey," said Martha, as they were leaving. "You won her over!"

"I just told her the truth," he replied easily, looping his arm round her shoulders. She hooked hers round his thin waist and they walked like that back to the TARDIS. "So what do you want to do?" he asked. She sighed.

"I don't know. I love you and I want to be with you, but I've wanted to be a doctor my whole life. It's so difficult."

"What's a month and a half," he said. "When we've got the whole of forever. I think you should go for it. Qualify as a doctor and then you can do whatever you want. Treat people here on earth, or all over the universe. It's up to you. I'll go with you."

"Are you sure," she replied in a tiny voice. "You won't mind barely seeing me for a month?"

"Whenever you fancy a break," he said. "We can go for little trips, and come back right where we left from. It'll be fine, trust me."

"Thank you," she said thickly, hugging him tight and pressing her cheek to his chest. After a few short minutes, they disentangled themselves and went into the ship together.

"Well Dr. Jones," he said. "All the time in the world, the universe at our disposal. Where would you like to go?"

"To the bedroom," she said slyly. He beamed.

"I couldn't agree with you more!" Scooping the beautiful woman into his arm and pressing a kiss against her lips, the Doctor carried her out of the console room, and into their new life together.

THE END!


End file.
